RR Auctions Edgar Allan Poe’s only known check

Edgar Allan Poe’s only known check, Vladimir Lenin’s ultra-rare handwritten letter, and one of FDR’s only known inauguration photos are only a few of the notoriously scarce items being offered in RR Auction’s February collection.

Edgar Allan Poe gained instant notoriety after the 1845 publication of his poem, The Raven. He would go on to buy out the Broadway Journal, a move that would validate him in terms of becoming the professional writer he always wanted to be. This entirely handwritten check-the only known example in existence-dated May 14, 1846, was penned with instructions to his lawyer and owner and publisher of Godey’s Magazine and Lady’s Book, Louis A. Godey, to draw thirty dollars from his account to pay Harden & Co., the express mail service he utilized to deliver his articles for publication.

In January of 1917, Vladimir Lenin was waiting to seize his moment—the moment that would deliver him from exile in Zurich back into his native Russia. Postmarked on the 16^th of the month, Lenin penned a quick and urgent letter inviting a supporter to rendezvous with himself and Polish socialist leader, Mieczyslav Bronski. Within weeks of this meeting, Bronski would deliver the piece of news that delivered Lenin his big break: the Tsar of Nicholas II’s abdication of the throne. This event sent Lenin forging through a war-riddled Europe as he prepared to gain support for the October Revolution, an event through which Lenin would radically shift Russia’s ideology, giving way to the birth of the Soviet Union. Any written correspondence from Lenin is exceedingly scarce, especially those so floridly signed.

An exceptionally rare and oversized signed photo of FDR’s unprecedented third inauguration on January 20, 1941, the day he would become the only American president to serve three terms. This image marks the first time in the last 35 years that any images of Roosevelt’s ground-breaking inauguration have been offered in public auction.

Also included in this month’s robust auction are a fantastic oversized image of the Apollo 11 lunar landing, inscribed in 1969; a spectacular document signed by Henry VIII; an elusive Geronimo signature; a second generation Dezo Hoffmann photo of the Fab Four; and a magical gathering of artifacts from the original masters of the craft, including Houdini.  All of these coveted items and more will be available for auction on January 27.

For information, visit the RRAuction web site at

www.rrauction.com or contact 

Bobby Livingston at bl@rrauction.com