RHEINGOLD GUSTAV LEVENVOLDE (1693-1758), Command letter to the Bakhmut Salt Office. 1738

Lot 718
8001 200
1 p. Handwritten signature of Count Levenvolde. 4 p. (paper, inks). 47 x 33 cm Rheingold Gustav Levenvolde (1693-1758) – Catherine I’ favorite. Influential courtier in the epoch of Anna Ioannovna and Anna Leopol`dovna`s reign. Ober-Hofmarschal (1730). Brother of diplomates Carl and Friedrich. All three were awarded count`s rank by Catherine I in 1726. Anna Leopol`dovna entrusted Levenvolde to rule the Major Salt Office collecting immense salt sales` revenues that were spent at exclusive Count`s decision. Upon Elizabeth Petrovna`s enthronement in 1741 Levenvolde was arrested along with other highest state officers like Ostermann, Münnich, Golovkin and other and put on trial. In new Empress’s manifest the count was accused in hiding important information about Elizabeth`s rights on throne what he knew from the Catherine I`s testament after her death and actually took side of the infant emperor and his mother. Besides Levenvolde was accused to waste great amounts of `salt money being under his control` on his own expenses and pension and on other people in prejudice of the state treasury, to report nothing about the Salt office revenues and not to send reports to the Revision collegium.