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Lincoln Assassination $100,000 Reward Broadside

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Abraham Lincoln Assassination $100,000 Reward Broadside The Exceedingly Rare Final Official Version

(ABRAHAM LINCOLN). April 20, 1865-Dated, Official Printed $100,000 "Reward" Broadside, by Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War, Extremely Fine.
This is an original, authentic Printed Reward Broadside for the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln. It is dated Washington, April 20, 1865, by Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War. It measures 12" wide by 22.5" tall, with half to one inch outer margins. The paper on heavy cardstock. It is in excellent condition with light overall even tone. The black print quality is sharp and clear, its bold headline banner text being very pronounced and is highly effective in its conveying its famous Reward message. This Broadside offers $100,000 in reward money from the War Department for the apprehension of Lincoln's Murderers. $50,000 for (The Murderer - John Wilkes Booth), $25,000 for John H. Surratt, and $25,000 for David C. Harold. The Reward Broadside reads, in full:

War Department, Washington, April 20, 1865,
$100,000 REWARD
THE MURDERER
Of our late beloved President, Abraham Lincoln,
IS STILL AT LARGE.
$50,000 REWARD
Will be paid by this Department for his apprehension, in addition to any reward offered by Municipal Authorities or State Executives.
$25,000 REWARD
Will be paid for the apprehension of John H. Surratt, one of Booth's Accomplices.
$25,000 REWARD
Will be paid for the apprehension of David C. Harold, another of Booth's Accomplices.

LIBERAL REWARDS will be paid for any information that shall conduce to the arrest of either of the above-named criminals, or their accomplices.
All persons harboring or secreting the said persons, or either of them, or aiding or assisting their concealment or escape, will be treated as accomplices in the murder of the President and the attempted assassination of the Secretary of State, and shall be subject to trial before a Military Commission and the punishment of DEATH.
Let the stain of innocent blood be removed from the land by the arrest and punishment of the murderers.
All good citizens are exhorted to aid public justice on this occasion. Every man should consider his own conscience charged with this solemn duty, and rest neither night nor day until it be accomplished.
EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War.

DESCRIPTIONS.--- BOOTH is Five Feet 7 or 8 inches high, slender build, high forehead, black hair, black eyes and wears a heavy black moustache.
JOHN H. SURRAT is about 5 feet, 9 inches. Hair rather thin and dark; eyes rather light; no beard. Would weigh 145 or 150 pounds. Complexion rather pale and clear, with color in his cheeks. Wore light clothes of fine quality. Shoulders square; cheek bones rather prominent; chin narrow; ears projecting at the top; forehead rather low and square, but broad. Parts his hair on the right side; neck rather long. His lips are firmly set. A slim man.
HAROLD is a little chunky man, quite a youth and wears a very thin moustache.

This is the final official version of what is the most famous and historic Reward Broadside in American history, differs in several significant ways from all earlier versions. The major differences are the new amounts (earlier versions offered $30,000 and $40,000), plus the use of difference, simple bold text to convey the Reward message. There is no space at top for the placement of any images of the conspirators, as seen on some of the six different official versions. Unlike the copy in the Library of Congress, acquired from the Sterns Collection, there is no use of a decorative "pointing finger towards the $100,000, no exclamation point after the word REWARD in that line, the typestyles used are quite different, being far less fancy and much more bold. In addition, there are other differences in the typesetting and text design within the lower portion of the print. There are far more examples of the earlier versions known. This remarkable, final Official Reward Broadside is a significant piece of American history and ranks as one of the most desirable and highly sought after items of all printed Americana. It is professionally and archivally matted and housed in modern, period style wooden antique black frame. Only a few examples are known of this spectacular American Broadside. It is certainly one of the finest known, as it is in excellent, Museum quality condition and ready for hanging on display.



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