Lot 63

Abraham Lincoln 10+ Hair Strands Certified by Charles Hamilton, Ex-Frederick H. Meserve

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Abraham Lincoln 10+ Hair Strands Certified by Charles Hamilton, Ex-Frederick H. Meserve

Estimate: $1,000 - $1,500

Current Bid: $1,600

(13 Bids)

June 17, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Live Auction
Wilton, CT, US

Description:

Abraham Lincoln
n.p., n.d.
Abraham Lincoln 10+ Hair Strands Certified by Charles Hamilton, Ex-Frederick H. Meserve
Hair

A display featuring 10+ hair strands belonging to 16th U.S. President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), affixed to a typed Certification page signed by legendary autograph dealer and expert Charles Hamilton (1913-1996). N.d., n.p. The hair strands, which are thick and black in appearance, appearing to measure between approximately 1" and 2" in length, are displayed against a 2.625" x 1.75" fragment of pale blue paper at lower left. Hamilton's Certification is typed on a sheet of "Charles Hamilton Galleries, Inc." letterhead, and signed by him at lower right as "Charles Hamilton" above an additional printed signature. Triple hole punched along the left edge. Expected wear including toning and foxing. The hair panel edges are discolored by aging adhesive tape. The top edge of the frame is a little loose, and taped. Else very good. Not examined out of the frame. The frame measures 8.625" x 11.125" x .5" overall.

The hair display is affixed to Hamilton's Certification statement, reading in part: "I certify that I personally removed the accompanying strands of hair from a lock of hair in an old frame (made in 1908) by Judd Stewart from wood removed from the LINCOLN home in Springfield. The hair bore on its frame an authentication written by Frederick H. Meserve, the famous LINCOLN expert, and was from his personal collection of LINCOLN memorabilia. In my opinion, there is no doubt that this is the authentic hair of ABRAHAM LINCOLN. [Signed] Charles Hamilton."

The display mentions Judd Stewart, a serious collector of Lincoln manuscripts and photographs, as well as Frederick H. Meserve (1865-1962), a preeminent collector of Lincolniana. In the early 1900s, Meserve acquired 10,000 original Brady negatives including seven Lincoln portraits. Meserve continued collecting Lincoln likenesses, as well as photos of Lincoln's contemporaries, over the next 60 years. He eventually amassed a collection of 200,000 pieces including some previously "lost" or unknown images of Lincoln. Meserve's collection was so esteemed for its completeness that he essentially became the custodian of "Lincoln's image."

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: framed: 8.625" x 11.125" x .5"
  • Medium: Hair

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000