Description:

Abraham Lincoln
Washington, DC, [ca. July 25, 1864]
Abraham Lincoln Presidential FF Signature on Hand-Addressed Cover to "The Loyal Ladies of Trenton New Jersey," PSA NM-MT 8
Free Frank

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865). Free Frank Signature, "A. Lincoln," at upper right of a 5.25" x 3" envelope addressed entirely in Lincoln's hand to "The Loyal Ladies of / Trenton / New Jersey." Postmark has lightened and is essentially unreadable. Mostly intact red wax seal at back flap. Certified, graded NM-MT 8, and encapsulated by PSA/DNA to a size of 7.25" x 4.25". Expected wear to both recto and verso including edge and corner chipping, minor tears, light ink smudging, soiling, foxing, and creasing. A few partial fingerprints appear at lower right recto. Overall, in very good condition with Lincoln's signature remaining bold and bright.

On July 25, 1864, President Lincoln penned a brief letter [not included here] to The Loyal Ladies of Trenton, New Jersey, thanking them for the gift of a cane presented to him during the Philadelphia Fair in June of 1864. This letter was presented for auction at Christie's in October of 2020. It is also referenced in The Rail Splitter's December 3, 2020 article. As it is the only letter that we can locate which Lincoln wrote to The Loyal Ladies of Trenton, New Jersey, we believe the cover offered here to be the one which accompanied that letter, and we base its date on that information.

The Loyal Ladies of Trenton, New Jersey, were a patriotic organization in New Jersey, primarily known for their efforts to support the Union during the American Civil War by invoking the historic legacy of their Revolutionary-era predecessors. The original Ladies of Trenton were a group of well-to-do women in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland, founded on July 4, 1780, to raise money for George Washington's poorly-funded Continental Army. The women succeeded in raising $15,488, which was transferred directly to Washington, who then purchased 380 pairs of stockings for New Jersey soldiers.

Mary Dagworthy Hunt (1748-1814) was a prominent Trenton schoolteacher and leader of the Ladies of Trenton during the American Revolution. In 1780, she was appointed the secretary for the their fundraising campaign. In this role, she managed the group's finances and corresponded with high-ranking officials, including General George Washington, to facilitate aid for the Continental Army. The Triumphal Arch of 1789 was a massive floral structure erected in Trenton, New Jersey, to honor Washington as he traveled to his first inauguration in New York City. Orchestrated by Hunt and the Ladies of Trenton, the arch transformed a simple bridge crossing into one of the most famous symbolic events in American history. Hunt's legacy lived on through the 1860s. Largely her descendants and successors, The Loyal Ladies of Trenton, New Jersey, used the wood from Hunt's arch to create a symbolic gift for Abraham Lincoln, which was presented to the president at the 1864 Sanitary Fair, mentioned above.

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: slab: 7.25" x 4.25"
  • Medium: Free Frank

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March 25, 2026 10:30 AM EDT
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