US Attorney's Office recovers 1527 document believed to have been stolen from Mexico
Department of Justice
U.S. Attorneys Office
District of Massachusetts
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, November 22, 2022
United States Files Forfeiture Action for Manuscript Signed by Conquistador Hernando Cortés in 1527
Manuscript believed to have been unlawfully removed from Mexicos national archives
BOSTON The United States Attorneys Office for the District of Massachusetts filed a civil forfeiture action today against a manuscript signed by Conquistador Hernando Cortés in 1527, believed to have been unlawfully removed from the Archivo General de la Nación de México Mexicos national archives located in Mexico City sometime before 1993. It is a violation of federal law to transport or receive stolen goods valued at more than $5,000 that have traveled in foreign or interstate commerce.
The manuscript is a payment order signed by Cortés on April 27, 1527 authorizing the purchase of rose sugar for the pharmacy in exchange 12 gold pesos. It is believed to be one of several documents unlawfully removed from a collection of documents concerning a Spanish expedition to Central America in 1527 that is housed in Mexicos national archives.
According to the civil complaint, earlier this year an individual consigned the Cortés manuscript for online auction at a Massachusetts auction house. Mexican authorities alerted federal authorities that the manuscript being auctioned appeared to have been stolen. In turn, the auction house removed the manuscript from the upcoming auction and the manuscript was recovered.
As a result of exceptional work by the Asset Recovery Unit in our office and our law enforcement partners, this historic artifact has been recovered. Mexico, like the United States, has national archives and the Cortés manuscript is nearly five centuries old. Our goal in filing today's forfeiture action is to return the manuscript to its rightful owner, said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins.
More:
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/united-states-files-forfeiture-action-manuscript-signed-conquistador-hernando-cort-s-1527