Description:

Lee Harvey Oswald Marine Corps Overcoat, Worn During His Soviet Exile, Directly from His Brother

An overcoat owned by presidential assassin Lee Harvey Oswald (1939-1963), purchased in Japan while he was in the U.S. Marine Corps, and worn during his 18-month-long stay in the Soviet Union. The single-breasted dark blue wool overcoat with a three-buttoned front has two side pockets and two inside pockets. It is embroidered with Oswald's full name, "Lee H Oswald," under the right inside pocket. Two maker's labels from Kawashima, a clothier in Yokohama, Japan, can be found within. The first is a simple loop (broken but present) that is attached to the inner collar; the second, a bilingual panel with a crest can be found beneath the left inside pocket. The coat is well-constructed and very sturdy. Areas that are normally prone to heavy damage, such as the underarms and collar, have been double-reinforced. The silk lining is in excellent condition, with no fabric shattering and only scattered light yellowing. Otherwise, expected wear commensurate from occasional to daily use can be found, including several pencil eraser-sized holes likely due to moth damage. The left cuff has been mended by hand, and there is some minor unraveling to the inner coat vent. Else in near fine condition. The coat measures 18" wide across the shoulders, and 46.5" long collar to hem. The sleeves measure 25" long. Provenance: Obtained directly from the Oswald family. Accompanied by a signed letter of provenance from Lee's older brother, Robert Oswald (1934-2017).

A recent discovery: 
Two printed Russian paper fragments were recently discovered tucked underneath the French cuff of Oswald's left sleeve. The longer paper strip is comprised of two unused bus tickets issued by the Ministry of Automobile Transport & Highways. The smaller slip is a trolley ticket which cost 4 kopeks. The "BSSR" in Cyrillic letters found at the top of the trolley ticket stood for the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. The existence of Russian transport tickets hidden in Oswald's coat confirms that he wore this coat during his Soviet exile. For the majority of his expatriate experience, Oswald lived in Minsk, the capital and largest city of Byelorussia. There, he was given a job in an electronics factory, a subsidized apartment, and financial assistance from the government. He married Marina Prusakova Oswald in 1961 and had a daughter named June in February 1962.

Oswald purchased this overcoat while still in the U.S. Marine Corps, during his time at the U.S. Naval Air Facility Atsugi near Yokohama, Japan from September 1957 to October 1958. It was also worn during Oswald's stay in the Soviet Union, as corroborated by the Russian tickets found in Oswald's sleeve cuff, and confirmed by photographic evidence. The coat appears in one known photograph, taken ca. 1961-1962, of Oswald and his wife Marina Prusakova Oswald posing on a bridge in Minsk. (The photograph became exhibit 1392 in the Warren Commission investigation of the Kennedy assassination).

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
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

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Bid Increments
From: To: 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