Abraham Lincoln Passport sold at $17k

Here comes another fantastic result of a vintage passport collectible from Heritage Auctions. This is a ship’s passport signed by Abraham Lincoln when he served as President. Measuring 19.75″ x 15.5″ (sight), it was issued on May 14, 1864, in New Bedford. The passport, printed in four languages, including French, Spanish, English, and Dutch, grants permission for the “Tristram P. Ripley master or commander of the Ship called Young Phenix” to travel to the Pacific Ocean, carrying provisions, stores, and utensils for a whaling voyage. Lincoln signed ships passport

The document bears Lincoln’s bold full signature and is countersigned by William H. Seward as the Secretary of State, Lawrence Grinnell as the collector for the port of New Bedford, and James Taylor as the notary public. An embossed paper seal is affixed at the lower margin of the passport. The document has been elegantly matted and framed to a size of 28″ x 24.25″. However, it has a split along the horizontal fold on the right-hand side, extending to the center of the document.

There are also two smaller splits at the vertical fold on the far right-hand side, and some small bits of paper loss at the horizontal fold. One of the folds crosses over one of the letters of Lincoln’s signature, but the folds have been smoothed. The verso of the document shows some tape stain show through. Lincoln signed ships passport

Sold at a final price including 25% premium, $17.500, today (22 Feb, 2023). The item was previously auctioned by Northeast Auctions in August 2006 as lot 527.

The Passport Lincoln signed ships passport

Tom Topol | Passport History Expert & Author.
Featured in media incl. CNN, BBC, Newsweek. Awarded by the U.S. Department of State.
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