Auction of Lincoln’s Personal Items Draws Attention

A recent auction featured personal belongings of President Abraham Lincoln, and one item particularly stood out.

The leather gloves that were reportedly in Lincoln’s pocket on the night he was assassinated attracted significant interest. They sold for an astonishing $1.52 million, which included the buyer’s premium fee, according to reports.

Among the 144 items auctioned by Freeman/Hindman in Chicago, 136 were successfully sold. This event was organized to help repay a 20-year loan taken by the Lincoln Presidential Foundation.

Another notable piece from that fateful night was a handkerchief which fetched $826,000.

On April 14, 1865, Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth while attending the play “Our American Cousin.”

Additionally, the auction featured a “wanted” poster with images of the three suspects in the assassination, including Booth.

This particular poster was sold for $762,500.

A notebook containing Lincoln’s handwriting from 1824 garnered $521,200, and this document is believed to showcase the earliest known examples of his writing.

In total, the auction raised an impressive $7.9 million, which included a 28% buyer premium on each item sold.

It’s worth noting that the items were part of a larger collection originally purchased from Louise Taper in 2007, totaling 1,540 artifacts.

The auction not only highlighted the historical significance of these items but also showcased how they continue to fascinate collectors and history enthusiasts alike.