Sell Your 1864 Abraham Lincoln Emancipation Proclamation for up to $550,000 or More at Nate D. Sanders Auctions

At Nate D. Sanders Auctions we sold the following Abraham Lincoln item:

Abraham Lincoln Memorabilia — Personally Owned and Worn Spectacles — With Provenance From Lincoln’s Family

Honest Abe had Strabismus, a visual problem in which the eyes are not aligned properly and point in different directions, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, which notes, “Lincoln’s left eye tended to roll upward, especially when he was tired or excited. News reports of his fiery 1860 presidential election debates with Stephen Douglas describe Lincoln’s eye as ‘rolling wildly’ as he spoke.”

In the famous photo above, we see Lincoln holding the spectacles while posing. Taken 5 February 1865, this “Picturing America” report, describes Lincoln’s current sentiment succinctly — “What draws and holds our attention is Lincoln’s expression, which the poet Walt Whitman described as ‘a deep latent sadness.’ At the time this picture was taken, Lincoln had weathered the worst of the war and almost succeeded in his fight to preserve the Union, yet he was painfully aware how much that cause had cost the nation.”

The spectacles have excellent provenance from Lincoln’s great grandson, Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith, with a letter included reading in part, “…were found two pair of eye glasses which had belonged to my great grandfather President Abraham Lincoln, and so marked by my grandmother Mary Harlan Lincoln…”

Also included is a signed letter from a board-certified optician attesting to the prescription of the glasses as +2.12, a match to Lincoln’s known prescription strength in the 2.00 range. Sold for $84,422.

Auction your 1864 Abraham Lincoln Emancipation Proclamation that is for sale today. Please email [email protected] to sell your 1864 Abraham Lincoln Emancipation Proclamation.