Pope Sylvester II, Inventor of the first mechanical clock, front and reverse of a promotional...

Gerbert d'Aurillac (c.938-1003) first French Pope (999-1003) and inventor of the first mechanical clock; also a celebrated scholar of mathematics and astronomy; greatly influenced by Islamic scholarship, which he studied in Spain from Arabic teachers; later Archbishop of Reims (9910 and Ravenna (998); elected Pope in 999; Archeveque de Reims et de Ravenne; Pape Sylvestre né en Auvergne; Huntley & Palmers were a British firm of biscuit manufacturers, founded in 1822, becoming biscuit suppliers to Queen Victoria; by 1867 they had expanded into Europe, receiving additional royal warrants from Napoleon III and King Leopold II of Belgium; by 1900 they were the world's largest biscuit producer and had become one of the earliest global brands; their easily recognisable tins and logo were a very successful marketing tool;