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| Title |
[John F. Kennedy] |
| Number |
55185 |
| Size |
10.25x7x2 |
| Date |
1963 |
| Place |
Washington, D.C. |
| Category |
Presidential |
| Price |
$30,000.00 |
President Kennedy’s personalized hinged wooden humidor, a gift from the Philippine Ambassador, with two of his unopened cigars in the original wrappers printed in gold: “SPECIALLY MADE FOR / PRESIDENT KENNEDY.”
Hinged wooden humidor engraved on the lid “President / Kennedy,” 10.25” x 7” x 2”. A 9.75” x 7” thin sheet of green felt covers most of the bottom of the cigar box. There are a few holes in the felt and slight rubbing at the beveled edges of the box cover indicating use of the humidor. Inside the box, in which 26 cigars were originally presented to the President, are two unopened cigars. Each is 5.25” long. Each cigar label is imprinted in white “Flor Fina Coronas Alhambra Manila” on a red and gold label with a black band imprinted “Choicest Philippine Tobacco / Sumatra Wrapper.” Each is in its original wrapper imprinted in gold “SPECIALLY MADE FOR / PRESIDENT KENNEDY.”
Accompanied by an 8” x 10” color photograph of President Kennedy smoking a cigar while reading the sports section of “The New York Times,” Saturday, August 31, 1963, aboard the Presidential yacht “Honey Fitz” during Labor Day weekend off the coast of Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. Stamping on the verso of the photograph by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library credits “Cecil Stoughton/White House” as the photographer.
On January 21, 1963, President Kennedy wrote to His Excellency Amelito R. Mutuc, Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines, Washington, D.C. The text of the letter, courtesy of the JFK Presidential Library: “Dear Mr. Ambassador: I have received the handsome, personalized, mahogany box of very fine cigars that you so thoughtfully sent to me. It was indeed kind of you to send such a generous supply of this excellent product. I know I will enjoy them and consider your gift another demonstration of the warm friendship existing between our countries. With appreciation and every good wish to you and your family. Sincerely, John F. Kennedy.” Photocopies of the retained unsigned carbon of this letter in the Kennedy Library’s files and a note-sized sheet of Ambassador Mutuc’s stationery addressed in a secretarial hand to: “The President / The White House / Washington, D.C.” are included. The latter most probably accompanied the box of cigars.
Also present, from the Kennedy Library, are photocopies of five earlier letters: (1) Letter from Carlos P. Romulo, Philippine Ambassador to the United States, dated April 16, 1961, to President Kennedy: “When the Manila papers recently published a picture of yours holding a cigar, a Philippine newspaper suggested that it may be a good idea to let you sample what we believe are the best cigars in the world. President Garcia has asked me to extend to you his personal greetings and to present you with these boxes of Philippine cigars with his compliments and best wishes. I should have presented them to you personally but knowing how budgeted your time is and how critical these days are, rather than add to your heavy schedule I sent them to Secretary Salinger with the request that they be handed to you…” (2) Retained unsigned carbons of letters of President Kennedy to Romulo and Carlos P. Garcia, each dated May 1, 1961, sending thanks for the cigars. (3) Letter from Romulo to Press Secretary Pierre Salinger dated July 19, 1961: “I have just returned from the Philippines and I bring with me the best cigars in the World – our Philippine cigars – and I am sending you these two boxes, one for the President and the other one for you, with my best wishes. With cordial personal regards…” (4) Retained unsigned carbon of letter of President Kennedy to Romulo, dated August 14, 1961: “Many, many thanks for the fine cigars that you sent to Mr. Salinger for me. I am most appreciative of your thoughtfulness. With every good wish.”
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