History of Finance Collection

This collaborative undertaking with the International Center for Finance reflects the recognition that the preservation and study of historical documents is vital to the broader scholarship on the role of capital markets in society. The collection was founded in 2001 with an initial matching gift from an anonymous donor. Recent acquisitions include documents relating to the development of capital markets in Europe, Colonial America and the United States. Highlights of the early European material include a 1621 bond issued by the first modern corporation, the Dutch East India Company and a1648 perpetuity that continues to pay interest until today, the Lekdijk Bovendams water board. The early American financial documents include a significant portion of the former Donaldson, Lufkin, Jenrette Collection of materials relating to the financing of the American Revolution. Many of the current items in the collection can be viewed in electronic form in the Beinecke Digital Library by searching for the word History of Finance Collection.

The Beinecke collections include a number of other documents related to the history of Finance. Among these are The Spinelli Collection and a complete run of The New York Shipping and Commercial List. The latter contains the official price list of the New York Stock Exchange from 1816 to 1854, and can also be accessed in electronic form by researchers via the web-site of the International Center for Finance.

To search Beinecke s collection for other materials related to finance, consult ORBIS, the Finding Aids Database, and the database of Uncataloged Accessions using subject headings, keywords, and format descriptions, such as: Finance History; Money History; stocks; and bonds. (Search results in ORBIS can be limited to Beinecke only.)

The International Center for Finance at the Yale School of Management has a permanent exhibit of documents from the history of financial innovation on display at 46 Hillhouse Avenue. You may also visit the website for this exhibit.