Wilton, CT, USA, October 24, 2024 — Americans will go to the polls on Tuesday, November 5th, to elect a new president, but a different kind of presidential history might be made less than a week earlier – on Wednesday, October 30th. That’s when University Archives, the Connecticut-based auction house, will offer a complete set of presidential signatures, from George Washington to Barack Obama, all signed while the men were in office.
The group, gathered by a Dallas gentleman who stopped collecting the signatures after Obama’s presidency, consists of autograph letters signed; typed letters signed; and signed letters; together with a variety of signed documents. They date from 1789 to 2010 and all show bold signatures.
The online-only auction will begin promptly at 10 am Eastern time and the presidential set, lot #89 in the catalog, has a pre-auction estimate of $400,000-$500,000.
“There are very few complete sets of presidential autographs signed as President, mainly due to the scarcity of William Henry Harrison pieces, as he served just one month in office,” said John Reznikoff, the president and owner of University Archives. “Many of these sets reside in institutions and will never be offered to the public.”
Mr. Reznikoff added that, based on a census taken by Joseph Rubinfine in 2002 and updated by Seth Kaller in 2023, “it is believed that fewer than a dozen such sets likely exist in private hands, this being one of the very best. A set of presidential signatures as President is thus scarcer than a set of signers of the Declaration of Independence.”
The Dallas collector, who wishes to remain anonymous, was described by Mr. Reznikoff as “a man whose passion for history and preservation inspired him to assemble this phenomenal, museum-quality signers set.”
Mr. Reznikoff is a frequent guest on TV and a main character on the hit Netflix TV show The King of Collectibles. He started collecting at age eight, when he wrote a letter to then-President Richard Nixon. He said it takes years, if not decades, to accumulate a collection like the one being offered.
“The collector let us know that this set was, and is, stored in climate-controlled vaults, which is kind of like keeping a rare car in a garage,” Reznikoff said. “He told me the collection has never been exhibited. He hopes a new buyer will take that on, maybe even showing it at the White House with a newly installed president.”
All of the signed items are fascinating snapshots into the lives of America’s past presidents and the times in which they lived and served. All are historically significant as well as being highly collectible. A handful of examples are as follows:
– George Washinton. A two-page letter dated October 3, 1789 and signed “Go: Washington”. America’s first president transmits the first Acts of Congress (including the Judiciary Act of 1789 and the First Federal Budget) to Connecticut Governor Samuel Huntington.
– Thomas Jefferson. A one-page letter signed “Th Jefferson”, dated December 13, 1803. In the letter, to an unnamed Governor, Jefferson circulates the 12th Amendment to the Constitution for ratification, regarding the election of President and Vice President, to avoid a crisis like that of the 1801 election.
– William Henry Harrison. Harrison served exactly one month in office – from March 4 to April 4, 1841. In that brief time, he signed a ship’s passport (“posthumously issued”) for a doomed whaling vessel. The document, dated April 30, 1841, is signed “W H Harrison” and countersigned “Danl Webster” as Secretary of State.
– Abraham Lincoln. In a document signed (as “Abraham Lincoln”) on July 24, 1863, just three weeks after the Battle of Gettysburg, Lincoln calls for 2,406 more men from the 18th District of Pennsylvania. It’s one of the first draft calls ever signed, and was executed a week after the New York Draft Riots.
– Franklin D. Roosevelt. In a typewritten letter dated July 28, 1939 and signed “Franklin D. Roosevelt”, FDR writes to sculptor Gutzon Borglum regarding his monumental work, Mount Rushmore, and “the Mount Rushmore National Memorial Project under the provisions of Reorganization Plan No. II, approved June 7, 1939.”
– John F. Kennedy. After Columbia Records President Goddard Lieberson sent JFK an audio recording of America’s first manned space flight with astronaut Alan Shepard, Kennedy signed a typed letter of thanks (as “John Kennedy”) on White House stationery, dated May 16, 1961, saying he was “delighted to have this memento.”
– Barack Obama. In an autograph note written on White House stationery, dated March 2, 2010 and signed “Barack Obama”, the President assures a Pennsylvania mother that he will do “everything in my power to make troops like Matthew my priority. Please tell him ‘thank you for your service’ from his Commander-in-Chief!”
Collectors who want even more than what is offered in this collection will be pleased to learn that many items in the 490-lot catalog are items signed by past presidents that also include Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Items signed by Democratic candidate for President Kamala Harris are also in the sale.
All lots in the catalog are up for viewing and bidding now on the newly redesigned University Archives website – www.UniversityArchives.com – as well as LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Auctionzip.com. Telephone and absentee bids will also be accepted.
Here is a link to the catalog on the University Archives website: https://www.universityarchives.com/auction-catalog/rare-autographs-manuscripts-books_E6Q0WAIS7L
Mr. Reznikoff said the signed presidents set joins a great volume of exceptional presidential autographed material from other consignors. “A timely assortment up for auction just a few weeks ahead of the 2024 United States presidential election,” he said. Outstanding items of historical interest from the Science, World Leaders, Civil Rights, Religion, Art & Music, Aviation & Space, History & Military, and Sports categories will also pass the auction block.
University Archives has become world-renowned as a go-to source for rare items of this kind. It is actively seeking quality material for future auctions, presenting a rare opportunity for sellers. Anyone who has a single item or a collection that may be a fit for a future University Archives auction may call John Reznikoff at 203-454-0111, or email him at john@universityarchives.com.
For more information about University Archives and the 490-lot, online-only Rare Autographs, Manuscripts & Books auction scheduled for Wednesday, October 30th, starting at 10am Eastern time, please visit www.universityarchives.com. Updates are posted frequently.
About University Archives:
University Archives was founded in 1979, as a division of University Stamp Company, by John Reznikoff, who started collecting stamps and coins in 1968, while in the third grade. Industry-wide, Reznikoff is considered the leading authenticity expert for manuscripts and documents. He consults with law enforcement, dealers, auction houses and both major authentication companies. University Archives’ offices are located at 88 Danbury Road (Suite #2A) in Wilton, Conn. For more information about University Archives please visit www.universityarchives.com.