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Maurits Prins' Diamanthandel

Established on November 8th 1922 in Amsterdam with a capital of 1 million Guilders, divided into 100 shares, 20% of which was originally paid up. Of these 100 shares, only 50 were issued. These are numbered 1 - 50 and have the original signatures of the directors Maurits Prins and R. Hugo Prins. The issued pieces that I know of, numbered < 51, have been issued in the name (printed !) of den Heer Raphaël Hugo Prins te Amsterdam. The numbers 51-100, unissued reserve pieces (blankettes) have also appeared in the collectors market but bear one unknown signature, possibly put on by an outsider / dealer. size: 21 by 30 cm.; I know of one SPECIMEN from the archives of the printing house De Bussy. Generally 3-5 such pieces may exist from these archives.

The Prins family has been active in the Diamond trade and the trade in other precious jewels for several generations.
Maurits Prins was the father of R. Hugo Prins. The latter helped broker the sale of the Jonker Diamond (one of the biggest ever found) to Harry Winston, while he was senior partner of I. Hennig & Co. in 1935. It seems that he ran both his own company and I Hennig at the same time. R. Hugo Prins left Amsterdam in 1940 in order to bring his immediate family to America. After the War he went back and continued his business. In 1957 he seems to have started another company with his son Geert, called Weisfield Diamond Polishing Works. In the mid 1960's his "factory" was in the Prof. Tulp straat. His son was not interested in continuing the business which seems to have ended in the late 1960's. R.H. Prins died in 1965.

There was his brother, George Prins, with George's son, Vivien Prins, both prominent in the diamond industry. Both George and Vivian were prominent at I Henig & Co. in London for some time.

source: Vivien Straus, USA, personal communication 2007

Available items:

Maurits Prins' Diamanthandel
established in Amsterdam, in 1922, trading in diamonds and pearls; capital 1 million guilders, divided in 100 shares (Bewijzen van aandeel) of  fl.10.000, of which only 20% has been deposited.Of these 100 shares, only 50 were issued. These are numbered 1 - 50 and have the original signatures of the directors Maurits Prins and R. Hugo Prins. The numbers 51-100, unissued reserve pieces (blankettes) have also appeared in the collectors market but bear one unknown signature, possibly put on by an outsider / dealer. size: 21 by 30 cm.; Print: De Bussy, Amsterdam; brown characters and grey decorative border;
---------- issued pieces, numbered < 51, in the name (printed !) of den Heer Raphaël Hugo Prins te Amsterdam, condition EF: very faint mid fold, separate coupon sheet, price 95 Euro.

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