Forbes Reviews the $3.8 Million Alexander Hamilton Collection Formed by John Reznikoff and Seth Kaller
Forbes Magazine reviewed the Alexander Hamilton Collection assembled by rare autograph dealers John Reznikoff (owner University Archives, Westport, CT) and Seth Kaller (owner Seth Kaller, Inc., White Plains, NY) in advance of the collection’s exhibition at the New York Antiquarian Book Fair in New York City in March 2018. The collection, comprised of over 1,100 seminal letters, documents, rare pamphlets, and even locks of hair, is appraised at nearly $4 million and includes material autographed by Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, Hancock, Burr, Paine, and Elizabeth Schuyler, Hamilton’s wife.
Signed letter by George Washington transmitting the Act establishing the Treasury Department
FORBES MAGAZINE: Attention history buffs, there's now a collection of rare documents on sale for $3.8 million.
Obviously, for something to command this value, it must be extremely rare and historical. And as the highlight of this year’s New York Antiquarian Book Fair on March 8 to 11, the Alexander Hamilton Collection certainly fits the bill.
In one of Hamilton’s most revealing love letters, he called Elizabeth Schuyler “a little sorceress” who bewitched and rendered him “restless and unsatisfied with all about me."
Among the 1,100 documents, some key features include: the first book printing of July 8, 1776 Declaration Of Independence, one of Hamilton’s most suggestive love letters to Eliza, George Washington’s letter transmitting the act establishing the treasury, Hamilton’s financial plans, founding Acts of Congress, the Bill of Rights, The Reynold’s Pamphlet, letters and documents written by George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine, Aaron Burr, the Schuyler Sisters, John Hancock, every signer of the U.S. Constitution, to name a few. There’s even a lock of Hamilton’s hair preserved by his family—which is a common way for people to preserve or share tokens of affection before photographs existed.
A lock of Hamilton’s hair, along with an authentication note from his son, plus a Hamilton signature his son clipped from a personal letter.
First edition of “Reynolds Pamphlet,” in which Hamilton admits to infidelity but vigorously denies financial crimes.
An extremely rare July 8, 1776 printing of the Declaration of Independence (the first in book form) bound with Common Sense, the best edition, is likely compiled by Thomas Paine, and owned by a French nobleman who served as an aide-de-camp at Yorktown.
Catalog of the Alexander Hamilton Collection
Above text taken from the Forbes article written by Eustacia Huen