letter of patent
letter of patent

A legal document transferring ownership out of the government—federal or state—to a private individual.The following sample is an excerpt from a patent out of the United States to Robert Sage,on May 6,1812, for 160 acres of land,signed by President James Monroe.
The Complete Real Estate Encyclopedia by Denise L. Evans, JD & O. William Evans, JD. Copyright © 2007 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.