Signed Documents from U.S. Presidents and Founding Fathers to Auction
March 1862, Abraham Lincoln signed, framed appointment document
A collection of historical documents signed by Abraham Lincoln, John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison are up for sale through Goldin's latest Pop Culture Auction.
The collection includes a document signed by Lincoln and his Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton appointing a new Assistant Quartermaster to oversee supply logistics for Union forces during the Civil War in 1862.
The auction also features a document signed by John Hancock that orders a quantity of items to be shipped from the Boston Harbor to Annapolis, Maryland. The document is dated September 28, 1767, when Hancock was just a prominent merchant appointed by the British government. Hancock’s iconic flowing signature, best remembered for its size and boldness on the Declaration of Independence, is instantly recognizable yet predates the Declaration by nearly a decade.
Other highlights include:
- a Thomas Jefferson and James Madison dual-signed land grant, dated January 3, 1807, formalizing the transfer of an Ohio property to a new citizen-owner. This display also includes a U.S. two dollar bill featuring Jefferson's likeness.
- a James Monroe and John Quincy Adams dual-signed and framed ship's paper dated September 20, 1823, which includes the embossed, off-white Presidential Seal
- a James Garfield signed and dated document from May 28, 1881. The signed item by the 20th president of the United States is accompanied by a portrait photograph and a U.S. one dollar coin.
The items are available for bidding through April 13.
