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George Washington By Jeff Figler
Therefore, most collectors of presidential memorabilia would think that Washington’s memorabilia would be the toughest to acquire. The answer to that is "yes" and "no." The most difficult presidential memorabilia to obtain is that of our country’s ninth president, William Henry Harrison. He was only president for parts of 32 days, having allegedly caught pneumonia on March 4, 1841, while delivering his inaugural address. Although experts disagree as to exactly the number of items that Harrison signed during his tenure, the number is around 14 – 20. Most of the items are in public display. Any collector of presidential items needs to realize that the toughie is Harrison, and it is nearly impossible to complete a set of letters signed by all presidents. More about Harrison in a future column. Washington items, however, are available. They are not necessarily terribly expensive, unless of course, you want to acquire some of the upper-end items. Such upper-end items include:
Someone acquiring a document needs to ask if the document was both written and signed by, let’s say Washington, or nearly signed. Oftentimes, a collector will think that a signed Harry Truman letter, for example, was also in his own handwriting. They are often surprised to learn that the letter was typed, and Truman only signed it. How about a George Washington Inauguration Parade Sash? Nowadays they are not very common, but one from Washington’s 1789 inauguration was auctioned for a nifty $35,850. What about an oil portrait of Washington? Say you have an art gallery, and you think an oil of Washington might look nice. Well, there was a Rembrandt Peale original of Washington that went for $662,500 in a recent auction.
There are many collectors of George Washington memorabilia. Original Washington items will only greatly appreciate. If you have an opportunity, you might want to acquire a letter written and signed by him, or even a cut signature. A letter with minimal content will still cost several thousand dollars, and a cut signature will set you back hundreds, not thousands, of dollars. But you can’t go wrong with them, and holding them for awhile. Washington’s importance in the history of the United States can never be overstated. He has showed as a hero to people throughout the world, and as a result, he is a favorite among collectors. His memorabilia can be hard to find, but well worth the effort. |
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Okay,
so we all know that George Washington was the first president, of the
fledgling United States. We all know that he vowed never to tell a lie,
and of course, it is common knowledge that he was the commander-in-chief
of the military during the Revolutionary War.
Now
what if you cannot afford to spend a king’s ransom on a Washington
item? Yes, there are other items that will not yield as much, not even a
fraction as much. A Washington coin from the 1789 inauguration can be
acquired for around fifty dollars. If you are a card collector,
presidential cards are very affordable. A Washington card, let’s say
in the 1956 Topps set will cost you a couple of dollars. In fact, the
entire set you can easily acquire for no more than $70 – 80. However,
as with most other items, the condition of the set will be very
important. I know of a presidential set that sold for over $10,000. If
you are not careful, you will be spending a fortune on your collection.
I know many collectors who have done just that.
