Lot 271
Lincoln, Abraham (1809-1865) 16th President of the United States. Extremely rare Check Accomplished and Signed "A. Lincoln" as President, 2¾"x7½", Washington, D.C., 1865 Feb. 21. Being check No. 28, drawn on Riggs & Co. for five dollars to "Lucy (colored woman)." Fine condition; light toning; the "c" in "colored" is lightly affected by the cut cancellation. American Book Prices Current records from 1975-2004 show only one somewhat similar check. In 1984, a check Lincoln wrote to "Colored man, with 1 leg" sold for $16,000 at Sotheby's; this check was crude in that Lincoln's signature had been cut from the original check and a replacement Lincoln signature from another check had been patched on. This check to Lucy is totally original, with no tampering.
We don't know who Lucy was. A possibility is that Lucy might have been one of the freed slaves who came to the attention of Elizabeth Keckley, Mary Todd Lincoln's seamstress and confidante. Mrs. Keckley, a former slave herself, raised money for freed slaves and founded the Contraband Relief Association. Mrs. Lincoln was sympathetic to Mrs. Keckley's efforts and sometimes visited the "contraband" camps around the White House with her. Perhaps the President was informed of Lucy's situation and felt compelled to help her, but this is mere speculation. In any event, the check is ultra rare.
Estimated Value $35,000 - 40,000.
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| Realized $55,200 |
