The Empire of Mexico under Maximilian I of Austria (1864-1867) was one of the most dramatic political adventures of the 19th century. Supported by Napoleon III and Mexican monarchists, Maximilian financed his reign through two major loans on the French and European financial markets (1864 and 1865). The defeat of Napoleon III against the republican resistance of Benito Juárez, followed by the withdrawal of French troops, doomed the Empire. Maximilian was captured and executed by firing squad in Querétaro on 19 June 1867. This certificate No. 8.014, representing 24 bonds, was issued by the Comité des Obligataires Mexicains (the body representing the Empire's French creditors) on 31 August 1869, two years after the Empire's collapse. French bondholders were then seeking to recover their claims from Juárez's republican government, which refused to recognize the debts of the usurper. A document of major historical importance, linked to one of the most dramatic episodes of Franco-Mexican history