Abraham Lincoln

By Jeff Figler

Most of us learned in elementary school that Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, was one of the two most iconic presidents of the country along with George Washington. When I was in grade school we always had two days off in February, one each for Lincoln’s and Washington’s birthdays. That was many years ago, and to the dismay of students across the nations, only one birthday is now observed. Such is a sign of the times.

Abraham Lincoln portrait.jpg (800239 bytes)However, Lincoln’s presidential accomplishments should never be forgotten. To serve as the leader of a country while the country’s factions were at a blood-filled war with each other is amazing by itself. However, to keep the country whole is almost beyond comprehension. But that is exactly what Lincoln did.

Despite serving as the nation’s chief executive for barely a full four-year term, Lincoln led the country through its bloodiest war as well as through its greatest moral and political crises, namely, slavery. In the U.S. Senate race of 1858, Lincoln lost to his Illinois rival, Democrat Stephen A. Douglas. The Lincoln-Douglas debates were highly publicized, with the slavery issue being the hot topic. Lincoln lost the Illinois Senate race, setting up his being nominated by the Republican Party as their presidential nominee in 1860. His victory was soon followed by seven Southern states receding from the Union to form the Confederate States of America. The Civil War would start barely a month later with the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter, South Carolina.

Lincoln’s objectives throughout his presidency, which coincided with the Civil War, were to reunite the country as well as to abolish slavery. Through a series of shrewd political maneuvers, he was successful in pushing through Congress the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which permanently outlawed slavery.

Lincoln was noted for strategizing against various political factions, even those within his own Republican Party, such as the Radical Republicans, who wanted the South to be treated harshly. However, Abraham Lincoln believed that the country had been brutally hurt enough, and punishment should be held to a minimum. His Gettysburg Address of July 4, 1863, was memorized by most students at some time in their studies, was Lincoln’s iconic statement of his dedication to the principles of liberty, democracy, and equal rights.

New York Herald April 15, 185.JPG (2137652 bytes)Less than a week after the Confederate surrender at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by Confederate John Wilkes Booth, a noted actor in the Washington area.

Lincoln was succeeded as President by Andrew Johnson, his Vice-President, from Tennessee. Abraham Lincoln is buried in the Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois. Abraham Lincoln was but 56 years old when he died.

A Lincoln relic is a prized possession of any collector.

Lincoln Handwritten Letter.jpg (583693 bytes)Among the most valuable of any Abraham Lincoln item is an ultra-rare copy of the New York Herald newspaper of April 15, 1865. That is the second most valuable newspaper in history, next to one announcing the Declaration of Independence. That New York Herald paper told of the Lincoln shooting and subsequent death. Depending on condition that newspaper is worth in excess of $20,000.

A handwritten letter by Lincoln as President is also worth thousands of dollars. Its value will depend somewhat on content. Lincoln sometimes would title his own letterhead the Executive Mansion, as the White House name had not yet been coined.

A Civil War document signed by Lincoln as President has sold for upwards of $20,000-25,000. Likewise, a political pin with an original Lincoln photograph in the center has sold for upwards of $3,000. Of course, for the casual collector, a Lincoln pinback button can be bought for less than twenty dollars. Postcard photos of President Lincoln can also be bought for under twenty dollars as well, on eBay, as can funeral token coins.