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Letter signed by General George Washington four days before the Treaty of Paris, which formally ended the Revolutionary War, estimated at $50,000-$70,000

Presidential signatures and letters enliven RR Auction’s Feb. 8 event

Sheila Gibson Stoodley
Sheila Gibson Stoodley
Letter signed by General George Washington four days before the Treaty of Paris, which formally ended the Revolutionary War, estimated at $50,000-$70,000
Letter signed by General George Washington four days before the Treaty of Paris, which formally ended the Revolutionary War, estimated at $50,000-$70,000

BOSTON – RR Auction‘s February Fine Autographs and Artifacts auction, scheduled for Wednesday, February 8, boasts more than 850 remarkable items and celebrates Presidents’ Day with a special section featuring presidential autographs, artifacts and memorabilia. View the fully illustrated catalog on LiveAuctioneers.

Among these is a letter signed by General George Washington four days before the Treaty of Paris. The Revolutionary War-era one-page letter dated August 29, 1783 and addressed to Lt. Col. Marinus Willett, was sent from Rocky Hill (near Princeton), just before the signing of the Treaty of Paris, which marked the formal end of the American Revolution. In it, Washington responds to the British refusal to surrender their Western posts. It carries an estimate of $50,000-$70,000.

Mary Todd Lincoln letter from 1866, in which she implicates Andrew Johnson in Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, estimated at $40,000-$60,000
Mary Todd Lincoln letter from 1866, in which she implicates Andrew Johnson in Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, estimated at $40,000-$60,000

Equally worthy of mention is a handwritten letter by Mary Todd Lincoln implicating Andrew Johnson in her husband’s assassination. The four-page handwritten note, dated March 15, 1866, sent to her friend Mrs. Sally Orne in Philadelphia, and marked “Private,” reads in part, “That miserable inebriate Johnson, had cognizance, of my husband’s death.” The black-bordered document is estimated at $40,000-$60,000.

Single-page 1837 John Quincy Adams letter to abolitionist Benjamin Lundy, with content on slavery, estimated at $40,000-$60,000
Single-page 1837 John Quincy Adams letter to abolitionist Benjamin Lundy, with content on slavery, estimated at $40,000-$60,000

A selection of important letters and documents signed by John Quincy Adams includes a one-page letter dated March 1, 1837 and estimated at $40,000-$60,000. Adams sent the handwritten note to abolitionist Benjamin Lundy in Philadelphia, publisher of The National Enquirer and wrote concerning “Slaves, Slavery and the Slave Trade” amidst international disputes with Great Britain.

Detail of two-page endorsement signed by President Abraham Lincoln, recommending the promotion of a wounded Union captain, estimated at $15,000-$20,000
Detail of two-page endorsement signed by President Abraham Lincoln, recommending the promotion of a wounded Union captain, estimated at $15,000-$20,000

A standout from the Abraham Lincoln pieces on offer is an endorsement he signed as president, promoting a wounded captain in the 82nd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. The two-page document was originally penned on the reverse of a letter written to Secretary of War Edwin Stanton and signed by more than 30 officers of the Pennsylvania Volunteers on June 24, 1864. It has an estimate of $15,000-$20,000.

Thomas Jefferson letter from 1780, signed while he served as governor of Virginia, estimated at $15,000-$25,000
Thomas Jefferson letter from 1780, signed while he served as governor of Virginia, estimated at $15,000-$25,000

Finally, Thomas Jefferson is represented by a one-page Revolutionary War-dated document from his time as governor of Virginia, signed by him on October 31, 1780. In it, Governor Jefferson calls upon the Virginia citizenry, intent on “recovering the public arms” for the local militia. Its estimate is $15,000-$25,000.

The Fine Autograph and Artifacts Featuring Presidents sale from RR Auction began on January 20 and will conclude February 8. More Details can be found online at www.rrauction.com.

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