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Lincoln Memorabilia Worth Millions
There have been many articles written that say that President Obama is inspired by our sixteenth
President, Abraham Lincoln. Many stories have also compared the two presidents; from their modest roots and their ascendency
to the highest office, to their similar styles in selecting their cabinets. Last fall we wrote about presidential memorabilia as
it pertained to the then U.S. historical election and how the memorabilia would appreciate in value. And if it is true that
President Obama will be viewed in the light and reverence that our 16th President is seen in, then store that Obama memorabilia in
the safest place possible. Lincoln memorabilia is has both the highest historical value and highest monetary value of presidential
memorabilia.
Speeches written by Lincoln have sold at auction in recent years for as high as $3.4 million dollars and a letter with his signature
brought in close to $4 million. In April we read about a man that planned to auction off a swath of cloth that he believed came
from the coat that President Lincoln was wearing on the night he was assassinated; starting bid a cool $1 million.
In another recent story, the descendants of Gideon Wells, who was Secretary of the Navy under Lincoln, are embroiled in a court battle
over a trunk full of Lincoln memorabilia that includes a decanter, a battle flag, and many many signed letters. Many think that
the trunk and contents are worth in excess of $100 - $150 million. In yet another story that appeared in Forbes this week, a
man laments at the fact that he was offered the trunk by an antique picker almost a quarter of a century before anyone knew it really
existed and he turned down the opportunity to buy it.
Think about this; in one hundred years will someone be lamenting because they passed up the opportunity to buy a trunk full of Obama
memorabilia that you left behind? Will your descendants be embroiled in a court battle because you left a plastic tote full
of Obama newspapers, campaign buttons, t-shirts, posters and maybe a handwritten letter or two but no will to determine who the rightful
owner should be? Or will a piece of cloth that someone thinks came from President Obama’s jacket be worth more than a million?
Due to appreciation of the almighty dollar, the Obama memorabilia will of course appreciate and be worth a lot of money; and in terms
of dollars, may very well equal Lincoln memorabilia in terms of monetary worth at today’s dollar. However, historical value
may be a different story and will be determined by what our 44th President does or maybe doesn’t do while serving as the leader of
the free world.
Lincoln Memorabilia on Display
In our previous article we wrote about what Lincoln memorabilia has been purchased for at auction and
what some people think their items are worth. Due to the fact that it is the bicentennial of President Lincoln’s birth, many
museums and organizations have been displaying his memorabilia for the public. The National Archives in Washington DC, is displaying
the original Emancipation Proclamation signed by the President as well as having lectures, films and other memorabilia exhibited throughout
2009.
At the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History the display includes items from a collection that has taken 140 years in
the making. The museum is showcasing over sixty items that include one of his famous top hats as well as a coffee cup, his gold
pocket watch and posters. However, one of the most interesting things on display is the inkstand that he used while writing
the Emancipation Proclamation. So even if you cannot afford a cool million for his memorabilia, you can still at least admire
it close up.
One last thing about Lincoln memorabilia and this is certainly going to send some people up to their attics to search;
there is a lot of Lincoln memorabilia that has never been found. The top hat that he was wearing during an assassination attempt
in 1864, the quilt that he died on and the bible that was used in his second inauguration have never been found. In addition,
many letters, manuscripts and speeches that he is known to have written have never surfaced.
