Exceptional And Rare Abraham Lincoln Signed CDV Sells for $49,913 at January Auction
An exceptional and rare Abraham Lincoln signed CDV sold for close to $50,000 in Nate D. Sanders’ January 29th auction.
Abraham Lincoln Signed CDV
Lincoln’s legend is widely known, and he remains one of our most beloved Presidents. Items personally owned or signed by Lincoln are highly sought after, and while there are many carte de visite’s of the President in existence, they are rarely signed by the President.
The photograph was taken early on in Lincoln’s presidency in 1861 by White House and Civil War photographer Alexander Gardner, the main assistant at the portrait studio of the famed Civil War photographer Mathew Brady. It is also uniquely authenticated by a then 23 year old John Hay, who was Lincoln’s personal secretary at that time.
Hay in 1862
Hay went on to a prolific career in politics, as he became Secretary of State for the presidencies of William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. It is clear that the idea of Lincoln signing anything other than an official document was a unique event, and Hay smartly recognized this, offering to personally authenticate the President’s signature to verso of the card. Famed autograph expert Charles Hamilton picks up where Hay left off, having personally authenticated the CDV, writing a letter confirming its authenticity on 11 June 1996.
If you currently have an Abraham Lincoln signed CDV or any other Lincoln autographs or letters, please contact [email protected]. We offer great rates for consignments, and our monthly auction model allows you to put them up for sale in 30 days or less.