Lot 81

Abraham Lincoln on Horseback, Check to Get a Saddle!

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Abraham Lincoln on Horseback, Check to Get a Saddle!

Estimate: $25,000 - $35,000

Current Bid: $15,000

(9 Bids)

January 29, 2025 10:00 AM EST
Live Auction
Wilton, CT, US

Description:

Abraham Lincoln
Springfield, IL, September 28, 1857
Abraham Lincoln on Horseback, Check to Get a Saddle!
Partially printed DS
ABRAHAM LINCOLN, Partially Printed Document Signed, Check to R. F. Ruth, September 28, 1857, Springfield, Illinois. 1 p., 2.5" x 7.5". Soiling on edges and central fold; very good. Checks signed by Lincoln have proven to be a steady investment and in the last few years have fetched $35,000-100,000 at public auction.

With this check on the Springfield Marine & Fire Insurance Company, Abraham Lincoln paid Springfield saddle and harness maker Reuben F. Ruth $14.70. Ruth had a saddlery on the south side of the public square in Springfield and employed fifteen workers in 1857, whose wages averaged $9 per week.

Historical Background
On March 1, 1853, Abraham Lincoln opened an account at the Springfield Marine and Fire Insurance Company with a deposit of $310. He remained a customer until his death just over twelve years later.

On the same day that he wrote this check to Ruth, Lincoln wrote at least three others—one for $11 to John Hutchinson, by then an antislavery settler of Lawrence, Kansas, and later Lincoln's appointment as the first Secretary of the Dakota Territory (1861-1865); another for $10 to William H. Bailhache and Edward L. Baker, publishers of the Illinois State Journal; and a third for $8.50 to furniture dealer John A. Hough.

Reuben Francis Ruth (1815-1881) was born in York County, Pennsylvania, and migrated to Springfield, Illinois in April 1839. There he began a business as a saddle and harness maker. In 1840, he married Maria W. Diller (1817-1870), and they had three children. From 1860 to 1875, Ruth was a member of the dry goods firm of Ruth and Hurst. He served as a Springfield alderman and as water works commissioner. In 1868, he became the president of the Springfield Marine and Fire Insurance Company bank, on which this check was written, and held that position until his death in 1881.

Springfield Marine and Fire Insurance Company received a special charter for thirty years from the Illinois General Assembly on January 28, 1851. The charter permitted the insurance company to perform all the services of a bank except issuing currency. In its early years, it was known as the "cattle bank" because cattle raising was a primary occupation in the area. The bank ceased to do any insurance business after 1855 but retained its original name until 1884 when it became the Springfield Marine Bank. The first presidents were Antrim Campbell (1851-1854), Thomas Condell (1854-1868), Reuben F. Ruth (1868-1881), and Benjamin H. Ferguson (1881-1903).

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.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.

    Dimensions:
  • 2.5" x 7.5"
  • Artist Name:
  • Abraham Lincoln
  • Medium:
  • Partially printed DS

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

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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