Description:

James F. Cooper PSA NM 7 Signed Check

A check signed by American novelist James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851), as “J. Fenimore Cooper" on the signature line, and engrossed by him overall. April 6, 1840. [Cooperstown, New York.] Encapsulated and PSA/DNA certified and graded NM 7. Check No. 369 drew on accounts held at the Otsego County Bank in Cooperstown, New York and authorized the payment of $109.43 to Peter Becker, who has endorsed it verso. The check bears a red cancellation hand-stamp at center. Expected wear including light toning, else near fine, the check trimmed to an overall size of 5.625" x 2.125." The slab measures 9.5" x 4.5."

Peter Becker (ca. 1806-1893), a stone mason of Dutch heritage who settled in Cooperstown in 1823, was the oldest male resident of the town when he died in December 1893. Perhaps James Fenimore Cooper asked for Becker's assistance in renovating Otsego Hall, the Cooper mansion in Cooperstown, after the family returned from their European sojourn.

James Fenimore Cooper is considered by many to be America's first novelist because he was the first to explore aspects of the newly forged American identity, including character types, settings, and situations. Cooper's “Leatherstocking Tales," a series of five novels that span the lifetime of their hero, Hawkeye, or Natty Bumppo, were released over a 20-year period, between 1823 and 1841. In these works, Cooper examined the concepts of the frontier, progress, and the “noble savage.”

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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January 10, 2024 10:30 AM EST
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Bid Increments
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$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