France--Tableau des finances

single sheet (635 x 910), manuscript in ink on paper, ruled in red, green and gold, framed and glazed, several tears (some repaired and without loss), sheet taped to glass at edges, occasional light staining, frame slightly chipped

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
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An important document recording the state of French finances during the first year of the French Revolution, itself caused by the financial crisis of the French state. The crisis had been worsened by various attempts to conceal the scale of it but this document, issued at the request of the Third Estate soon after the meeting of the États Généraux, clearly states that the annual deficit at 1 September 1789 was 61,500,000 livres. Nearly half the annual expenditure is for interest on the public debt (225 million livres), and the next largest expense recorded is for military costs, at nearly 100 million livres, making the 25 million livres going to the King seem modest by comparison.

According to accompanying documents, this particular copy of the Tableau was apparently the one read by the King and then passed to the Prince de Croy, one of the representatives at the États Généraux.