As Seen on eBay

Lincoln Cent on Dime Double Denomination

The US Mint occasionally strikes a coin that does not follow the route into general circulation but instead gets routed back into the strike of a different denomination. The result is always weird and sometimes beautiful--"striking," even!

Such is the case of two Lincoln cents struck on Roosevelt dimes on eBay. One is still for sale; the other just sold via auction.

This 1993 P penny-dime started as a dime before it was double-struck as a Lincoln cent. It is a Mint error that is graded MS 67 by NGC. The oak branch and torch on the back of the dime are evident on Abraham Lincoln's head and beard.

Turning the Lincoln Memorial on its side makes it easier to see the silhouette of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

see original eBay listing

It is listed for $1195 or best offer by eBay seller dempseyandbaxter.

On Valentine's Day, a gorgeous 1990 P Lincoln penny strike on a dime sold via eBay auction for $857.98. The listing by sullivannumismatics started for 99 cents and attracted 23 bids from 14 bidders. This 1990 Lincoln cent on a Roosevelt dim was graded an MS 64 by PCGS.

Like the 1993 MS 67 double-denomination coin, the back of the dime is evident on Lincoln's face. Here, the oak branch and the olive branch can be seen.

And once again turning the Lincoln Memorial on its side, it's easy to see Roosevelt's silhouette.

see original eBay listing

The grade and the picture of the first coin make it obvious that the strike is much better on that coin than on the second. However, the leaves on Abraham Lincoln's face in the second double-denomination coin make that coin quite beautiful.

Abraham Lincoln Signature on Appointment Document for Patent Office

Abraham Lincoln frequently signed letters and documents with the familiar abbreviation, "A. Lincoln." A document with a full signature ("Abraham Lincoln") is listed on eBay for $21,000 with offers accepted.

The autograph is from a document dated May 7, 1861. In it, Abraham Lincoln appoints Joseph J. Coombs of the District of Columbia as Examiner-in-Chief of the US Patent Office. The document is 13-1/4" x 17" and is framed. Lincoln's signature is about 3" long. The document is also signed by Caleb Smith, Secretary of the Interior.

see original eBay listing

 

Artist's Proof Engraving: Lincoln Reads the Emancipation Proclamation to His Cabinet

"Finally, came the week of the battle of Antietam. I determined to wait no longer. The news came, I think, on Wednesday, that the advantage was on our side. I was then staying at the Soldier's Home (three miles out of Washington). Here I finished writing the second draft of the preliminary proclamation; came up on Saturday; called the Cabinet together to hear it, and it was published the following Monday."

That's Abraham Lincoln's account of his reading the Emancipation Proclamation to his cabinet, as told in F. B. Carpenter's account of his staying at the White House to capture this historic moment on canvas, Six Months at the White House.

A signed original 1866 artist's proof engraving of this reading of the Emancipation Proclamation failed to meet the reserve price on eBay on August 14, 2009. The highest bid received was $2,125. It is now for sale on eBay as a Buy It Now for $2,250.

see the original listing on eBay

Francis Bicknell Carpenter painted "The First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation" in 1864. Thereafter, he commissioned Alexander Hay Ritchie to make an engraving of the painting. The eBay listing notes this about the painting itself:

The positioning of the Cabinet members betrays their political positions: Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase, Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles, and Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton were early supporters of the proclamation and were therefore placed closer to the President. Carpenter placed the more conservative members of the Cabinet farther to Lincoln's left. The moment depicted in the engraving is just after President Lincoln has completed reading the proposed Emancipation Proclamation to the Cabinet and Secretary of State William H. Seward is counseling that it not be issued until the Union can claim some success on the battlefield.

The original artist's proof listed on eBay is an engraving on paper, 28-1/2" x 38-1/2"; image is, 21" x 32"; framed dimensions are 34-3/4" x 44-3/4". It is signed in the bottom corners: "F. B. Carpenter" and "A. H. Ritchie."

 

Abraham Lincoln was the first subscriber for a signed, artist's proof of the engraved version, but he did not live to receive it. Instead, when it was published in early 1866, the first signed, artist's proof was presented to Mary Lincoln. It now hangs in Robert Todd Lincoln's study at Hildene, in Manchester, Vermont.

Carpenter's original painting now hangs in the U.S. Capitol, outside of the Senate Chamber.

Abraham Lincoln "Link to Lincoln" Batman Card

There is more to Lincoln on sports cards than I thought. I recently wrote about a really great baseball card made by Upper Deck (2008 SP Legendary Cuts "Hair Cut Signatures" card). The card featured the full signature of Abraham Lincoln (not the abbreviated "A. Lincoln" that Lincoln commonly scribed), as well as a cutting of his hair.

I just discovered a 1966 Batman card depicting Batman in front of the Lincoln Memorial. It's the A & BC Batman "Link to Lincoln" series A #17A card, now on sale on eBay for $160 (PSA 9).

see original eBay listing

If you've seen the latest Batman movie, The Dark Knight, you know that Abraham Lincoln was suspected to be Batman.

The real scoop, though, is on artist retoyman's blog. Click the picture below to go to his blog to see a really nice image. I've deliberately put a small one here to encourage you to click through to his blog.

 

(I bought a Lincoln painting from him and really like it. Retoyman sells on eBay from time to time.)

CDV Photos of Abraham Lincoln, Robert Lincoln, and Willie Lincoln

Carte de Visite photographs, commonly called CDVs, are albumen prints mounted on cards that were commonly exchanged by people in the 19th century. They followed the era of daguerreotype and ambrotype photographs. The American Museum of Photography says, "[The Carte de Visites] became so widespread that by 1863 Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes would write, 'Card portraits, as everybody knows, have become the social currency, the "green-backs" of civilization.'"

Several eBay listings featuring a nice collection of CDV photos are now available, with eight days to go at the time of this post. All are listed by seller upperlevelantiques, who acquired them as part of Lincoln memorabilia collection purchased at a small country auction.

The first is affordable for every budget--at least right now. It's a lot of 6 Abraham Lincoln CDVs; the current price is $23. The listing contains some very nice photo closeups of each CDV. [Update: Bidding ended June 15 at $153.]

see original eBay listing

The second is a CDV of Abraham Lincoln from a circa 1862 photograph by famed Lincoln photographer, Matthew Brady. The current price is $78. [Update: With two days to go, the price was $609. Bidding ended June 15 at $1,174.]

see original eBay listing

The third is a CDV of William Wallace Lincoln, known as Willie. This photograph is also by Matthew Brady. The current price is $480. With more than a week of bidding to go, it will be interesting to see the final price this CDV fetches. [Update: With two days to go, the price was a buck shy of $900. Bidding ended June 15 at $2,550.]

see original eBay listing

The fourth and final CDV is one of Robert Todd Lincoln, the only Lincoln son to live to adulthood. This photograph is also a Brady photo. The current price is $152. [Update: With two days to go, the price was $809. Bidding ended June 15 at $1,625.]

see original eBay listing

Each listing has a nice close-up. The seller did a nice job with photos of these CDV (including shots of the back sides), so the listings are worth looking at.

Upper Deck SP Legendary Hair Cuts: Lincoln for $20K

A truly unique find: card number 1 of 1. The Upper Deck 2008 SP Legendary Cuts "Hair Cut Signatures" card. The card features a small piece of Abraham Lincoln's hair as well as a cutting of his signature. Lincoln usually signed documents with his famous "A. Lincoln" autograph, but this one is the longer version, "Abraham Lincoln."

The card is listed for $21,400, but the seller (beckettmedia) is considering best offers.

[May 9, 2009 update: This card sold for $17,500. The best part: My friend bought it! I'll get to see it soon.]

see the original eBay listing

Like me, you may never get to splurge on something like this, but click through to the eBay listing to check it out for yourself. It's total eye candy!

Lincoln's Second Inaugural Ball

The Lincoln-Johnson administration was kicked off with Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Ball on the evening of March 4, 1865. I saw a dance card for the inaugural ball at the Lincoln Museum formerly in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.

Now on eBay, an invitation to the Second Inaugural Ball--called the National Inaugural Ball--is up for auction. With a day and a half to go, bidding is now at $225.

The invitation includes list of the managers, including Lincoln's Vice President from his first administration, Hon. Hanibal Hamlin. It was engraved by Dempsey and O'Toole, designed and drawn by Braff.

See the original eBay listing

Emancipation Proclamation Art

Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation was printed in a variety of ways, including several that were nice pieces of art. The text of the Emancipation Proclamation is quite dry--it was a legal document, after all. But this print now on eBay is a great example of how the text itself can become a beautiful thing in an artist's hands.

See the original eBay listing

[April 15, 2009 update: This item did not sell at its listed start price of $395. The seller has relisted the item again, with a start price of $375.]

Much like the photo mosaics of today, the face of Abraham Lincoln emerges from the caligraphy of the text itself.

I recently admired a print like this in a museum. I can't recall whether it was the Lincoln Museum formerly in Ft. Wayne, IN, or at the Lincoln Shrine in Redlands, CA.

The seller of this print says it's an original. He's also including the 1905 newspaper he found in the frame.

2009 Lincoln Penny Issue: Display Case

Since I'm on a "roll" with Lincoln penny posts...

This looks like a nice display case for the 2009 Lincoln pennies. Why does it hold five coins if there are only four designs? You need one slot to show off Lincoln's profile on the front of the penny! You may want to get several: one for you and some for the kids in your life.

Lincoln Penny 2009 First Issue Certificate of Authenticity (COA)

The 2009 Lincoln penny with the log cabin design (the first of four issues for 2009) is available on an informational Certificate of Authenticity (COA). Hurry! These are going really fast.



I bought mine from an eBay seller called mfcoinman8z2e. The seller went to the Lincoln Bicentennial celebration at the LaRue County High School gym and obtained several informational COAs for the Lincoln cent issued in Hodgenville, Kentucky on February 12, 2009. The seller went to the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace NHS (National Historical Site) and had the COA stamped on February 12, 2009.

You know, I debated about going to Springfield for the Lincoln events, including the first day issue ceremony of the Lincoln postage stamps on February 9, 2009. Little did I realize, had I planned a trip to Kentucky instead, my trip would have been paid for many times over through the sales of the Lincoln penny rolls, COAs, and other similar items!!

Here are items from mfcoinman8z2e: