Description:

Lyman Hall Clip & Partial Autograph Letter Re: Bond to the State

A partial autograph letter written in the hand of Lyman Hall with a clipped signature attached. 1 slip, front and back, measuring 7.75" x 2", N.p., dated December 7, 1787. The clipped signature "Lyman Hall" measures 1.625" x 0.375". In our October 2023 auction a clip, albeit part of a Topps card set, fetched $17,500 inclusive of commission. The letter has flattened folds and is lightly toned throughout with a few spots of staining. The clipped signature is also lightly stained and toned. With flattened folds, the letter appears to have been previously separated at the left verso edge and has since been repaired. Prior paper loss has been restored to an extent by an unknown party. Boldly signed by Hall, whose signature is incredibly rare.

In the partial letter, it appears that Hall is appointing his son as executor of his business affairs, particularly with respect to an unpaid Bond. Reading in full: "Dear Sir, I am Sorry to Trouble you again on the Subject of the Certificates, you was [sic] so obliging as to give me Respecting, my Affairs of Payment on…[verso] P.S. if you have any Commands, my son will gladly Execute them, he will I hope take up my Bond, & Consequently lodge some Money in the Treasury.” 

From prior letters from Hall, we can surmise that the bond referred to was a Georgia state bond. In a letter dated December 1, 1785, Hall writes that he is "indebted to the State by Bond" for a sum of 725 pounds lest his property be confiscated by the government. The following year, in a letter dated November 20, 1786, to George Jones, the treasurer of Georgia, Hall writes that he had ordered a payment be made on his bond but that it was never received. It appears that Hall was still dealing with this issue at the time of writing the above letter and had decided to appoint his son to manage the affair.

Lyman Hall (1724-1790) was a Signer of the Declaration of Independence from Georgia who went on to serve as Governor of the state. He is considered one of the rarest Signers in signed format only behind Arthur Middleton, Thomas Lynch Jr., and Button Gwinnett. Hall married Abigail Burr in 1752, but she died a year later, without children. The following year, in 1753, he married Mary Osborn of Fairfield, and the couple had one son, John, who died without issue in 1791.

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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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