Auctions | January 28, 2025

Jimmy Carter Letters Archive Leads Presidents Day Sale

RR Auction

The Jimmy Carter letters archive

RR Auction's February Fine Autographs and Artifacts Auction will feature more than 800 lots, including a special Presidents' Day section showcasing presidential autographs, artifacts, and memorabilia including a comprehensive correspondence archive from Jimmy Carter. 

The archive comprises a collection of 70 signed letters by President Carter, addressing a range of topics such as religion, global politics, health, and personal reflections. Other highlights include:

  • a handwritten letter from 1810 in which John Adams critiques the concept of divine right and hereditary privilege as "nothing in human Nature and human history more ridiculous" and which also contains scribbles from Adams' three-year-old granddaughter
  • a three-language ship's paper signed by President George Washington and Secretary of State Edmund Randolph on September 1, 1794, authorizing a schooner's trade voyage amid the U.S. struggle to maintain neutrality during conflicts between France and England
  • a 1792 letter by Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State announcing the ratification of the Bill of Rights to New Hampshire Governor Josiah Bartlett
  • a Civil War-dated document signed by Abraham Lincoln a few days before the First Battle of Bull Run appointing William Cuddy as Surveyor General for the embattled border state of Missouri

The online auction concludes on February 12.

The John Adams letter
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RR Auction

The John Adams letter