Although dated 1791, Christian Mertel is not known to have been in southeastern Pennsylvania until at the earliest 1793. The presence of another Geburts und Taufschein dated prior to Mertel's arrival in America, as well as two other fraktur inscribed after Mertel's death (see Earnest, p. 285) suggests not only the fluidity with which Mertel dated his works, but also that he may have executed blank certificates as well. Characterized by a rich use of color, miniature tulip buds and a wide range of animal forms, the Geburts und Taufschein illustrated here represents one of Mertel's best certificates with its rampant unicorns and crowned lions.

Arriving in America in October of 1773, Christian Mertel came from Herborn to Philadelphia on the Crawford. His previous occupation was a dyer. Mertel shows up again in Dauphin County in 1793, where he was a landowner in Londonderry Township. His estate inventory in 1802 listed "boxes with pictures" attesting to his activity as a fraktur artist. For further information, see Weiser, "Christian Mertel, the 'C M Artist'," Der Reggeboge: Journal of the Pennsylvania German Society, volume 21, 1987, pp. 75-85. See also lot 204.