Queen Elizabeth II Signed 1953 Royal Pardon

An early and historically interesting document signed by Queen Elizabeth II, granting a royal pardon to a British prisoner convicted of evading compulsory military service during the Cold War. Dated October 30, 1953, at the Court of St. James's, London, just sixteen months after Elizabeth's accession to the throne and less than five months after her coronation. The two-page document concerns Gary Edward Wallace, who was convicted on September 23, 1953, at Chatham, Kent, of violating Section 8 of the National Service Act of 1948 and sentenced to six months' imprisonment at HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs. The Queen granted Wallace a pardon just over a month later, citing mitigating circumstances. Prominently signed "Elizabeth R" at the top, with a bold signature measuring approximately 3.5" x 1.25". The document bears an embossed seal of King George VI in the upper left corner and is countersigned on the reverse by British Home Secretary David Maxwell Fyfe. The use of her father's seal is an interesting detail reflecting the early transitional period of Elizabeth II's reign. The document measures approximately 7.5" x 12.5" and is double-sided framed with a photograph of Queen Elizabeth II riding in a carriage. Overall framed dimensions approximately 18" x 19". Not examined out of frame. Estimate $600 - $1,000

Estimate:£454.09

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