RR Auction is pleased to announce our first American
Patriots auction on January 27. This stunning assemblage of letters and relics
come straight from the very hands that birthed our nations’ freedom on August
2, 1776, as Hancock, Adams, and Franklin signed the formal copy of the
Declaration of Independence. Boasting over 40 of the 56 signers, including
three notoriously scarce individuals like George Taylor, Thomas Nelson, Jr.,
and the most obscure of all, Thomas Lynch, Jr., the American Patriots auction
will breathe fresh life into the revolution, once again honoring the
congressmen, delegates, generals, and soldiers who laid the foundation for our
nation as we know it.
On March 1, 1776, Thomas Lynch, Jr. penned a florid letter
on behalf of this father, Thomas Lynch, Sr., a South Carolinian delegate to the
First Continental Congress. As a result a cerebral hemorrhage, Lynch’s father
was rendered paralyzed; Lynch was forced to take leave of his post in the South
Carolina militia, assuming his father’s place as the 52nd
declaration signer. Lynch’s overwhelming scarcity was made destiny by an
ill-fated sea voyage he and his wife would embark on in 1779, never to be heard
from again. His library and estate was scattered, destroyed, and lost, making
this unlikely signer the most invaluable, even in comparison to Button Gwinnet;
this 1776 handwritten letters represents only one of three known to exist.
Thomas Nelson, Jr., who has been categorized as “very rare”
in Kenneth W. Rendell’s, History Comes to Life, provides a lengthy piece of
correspondence, brimming with political opinion, penned on February 18, 1775,
exactly two months before the British would unleash their fury upon the shores
of Massachusetts.
Also falling under Rendell’s “very rare” category is last
minute signer, George Taylor. This
war-dated letter, written on the 18th of November, 1780, provides a
first-hand look at Taylor’s ironwork business, a trade that won him a contract
with the Pennsylvania’s Committee of Safety, making him the first ironmaster to
provide cannon shot to the Continental Army. This letter is only the second
letter known to ever appear in auction, qualifying its insurmountable scarcity.
An exceptionally uncommon letter from Thomas Jefferson to
President George Washington dated February 17, 1791, concerning expansion of
settlements northwest of the Ohio during the Northwest Indian Wars. Any
correspondence between Jefferson and President, especially referencing the very
fibers of the nation’s territorial acquisitions, is of the utmost rarity.
Other offerings of paramount rarity include General George
Washington’s prized map, outlining the Theater of War northeast of the Delaware River,
illustrating the critical victories at Trenton and Princeton from December 26,
1776 through January 3, 1777, remains in remarkably clear condition, as does
his September 11, 1799 letter concerning the purchase of materials used for the
construction of the nation’s capitol, Federal City. Martha Washington’s
uncommon correspondence to her favorite niece, Fannie Bassett, dated October 18,
1794, provides a substantial example of the First Lady’s hand.
And
last, but certainly not least, an impeccably-preserved and magnificently scarce
set of six silver spoons, crafted by none other than the Midnight Rider
himself, have stood the test of time and, after 220 years, remained steadfastly
together. One of the most celebrated and sought-after silversmiths of his time,
Revere personally crafted this set for the prominent Boston couple, Daniel and
Mary Turner Sargent. This original set heralds from the prized collection of
noted silversmith and Revere collector, George Gebelein, who first came into
possession of the collection in 1938.
This specialized collection, also including an entirely
handwritten financial account of New Hampshire delegate, Josiah Bartlett’s,
compensation for signing the Declaration; an ironically hopeful letter from
John Andre, penned just a month before his execution after being captured as a
spy; a riveting letter from Colonel Azor Orne, and many, many more
desirable
signatures and relics, will be available for bidding January 27. For
details, go to http://www.rrauction.com
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