From The Associated Press via Auction Central News:
Lawyers to pay $25 million in Princess Di collectibles dispute

A law firm that represented The Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund sued owners of the Franklin Mint in 1998. Franklin Mint was selling Princess Diana memorabilia. The fund and law firm argued that sale was “diluting the value of Diana’s name with its memorial plates, purses and dolls.” After the case was thrown out, Franklin Mint’s then-owners, Stewart and Lynda Resnick, filed their own suit. First, they got a settlement from the memorial fund of $25 million. Now, they received the same settlement from the law firm. The Resnicks donated the first settlement to charity and have said they will do the same with this one. In a side note, the Resnicks sold the Franklin Mint property to developers who are planning a mixed-use community. Neighbors, however, are up in arms to the point of sending hate mail.

From The Washington Post:
Historic urns bound for return to Arlington

It’s a complicated tale that started with renovations to the Arlington Cemetery amphitheater in the 1990s. Nine-foot urns were removed and ended up in antiques store. The owner got them from another dealer who supposedly got them from one of the renovators. The store owner decided to put the urns on the auction block. The Washington Post got wind of the sale and informed the Department of the Army. Preservationists were none too happy about auction. And there was some surprise that the Arlington Cemetery is not on the National Register of Historic Places. All’s well that ends well. The urns are being returned to the Department of the Army.

From Bloomberg:
Ambulance That Purportedly Held John F. Kennedy’s Body Sells for $120,000

UPDATE: Last week it was the ambulance that carried JFK’s body from Andrews Air Force Base to the hospital in Bethesda. This week it is “purportedly” the vehicle. The auction house couldn’t produce authentication. Nonetheless, an Arizona bidder paid $120,000 for it.

From USA Today:
Record price set for Ferrari FXX at Scottsdale auction

Also sold at auction in Scottsdale was a much flashier vehicle, a 1966 Ferrari FXX that went for a whopping $2.1 million. Other high sellers were a 1964 Porsche ($1 million), a 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing ($858,000) and a 1964 Shelby 289 Cobra ($610,500).

From Auction Central News:
Newport Chippendale bureau table achieves $5.7M at Christie’s

An 18th-century American table crafted by cabinetmaker John Goddard was set to go for between $700,000 and $900,000. However, it became a must-have for several bidders, and the price zoomed to $3 million. Two bidders continued to duke it out until the gavel came down at $5,682,500.

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Join WorthPoint on Twitter and Facebook.

From Bloomberg:
Model Trains Among $10 Million in Sotheby’s 27,000 Antique Toys

Jerry Greene, then 18, stuck a sign in his record-store window saying he was looking for train sets. Almost 60 years later, Greene’s collection contains 3,500 antique locomotives, along with train stations, figurines in 19th-century outfits, Ferris wheels and Prussian soldiers. Sotheby’s is estimating the collection, which will be sold as a single lot, will bring in $10 million. Noel Barrett, an appraiser and president of Noel Barrett Antiques & Auctions, is predicting more on the line of $40 to $50 million. Green is selling because he says he has collected “everything I could collect. The fun is in the search. I want to sell it, so that I have a clean basement. After this, I will collect something else.”

From The Herald Sun:
JFK ambulance going on the auction block in Arizona

Those who can remember that tragic November 22, 1963, also remember the sight of the Pontiac Bonneville ambulance transporting the casket containing the body of John F. Kennedy from Air Force One to Bethesda Naval Base. The ambulance and 16 other classic cars will be auctioned by Barrett-Jackson Auction January 17 in Scottsdale, Ariz.

From The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Carnegie Museum of Art auctions 5 George Romney portraits

The Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh kept five portraits by George Romney (the 18th-century painter, not the Michigan politician) stashed from public view for 80 years. Running out of storage space, the museum has turned the paintings over to Christie’s, which will put them on the block this month. One portrait, that of a Mrs. Bruce, was discovered to be altered. Someone must have found her décolletage too risqué and gave her a higher neckline.

From The Wall Street Journal:
John Lennon’s 1965 Ferrari 330 Up For Auction

The 1965 330 GT 2+2 Ferrari hasn’t proved to be very high on collectors’ wish lists. Maybe that will change with the blue 330 that Bonhams in London will be auctioning in February. The difference is John Lennon was a previous owner. The auction is hoping it will bring in between $155,000 and $220,000 even though highest price to date for the model has been $100,000. The lack of popularity is credited to it being a pretty ugly car.

From Bloomberg:
Gauguin Flowers to Top $169 Million Sale; Hirst Skull: Art Buzz

Far from ugly is Paul Gauguin’s “Nature morte a ‘L’Esperance,’” still life, which could bring is as much as $15-plus million at a Christie’s auction of Surrealist, Impressionist and modern art. Also on the block are works by Andre Derain and Georges Braque.

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Join WorthPoint on Twitter and Facebook.

From The Boston Globe:
Only salvaged Last Stand flag sold for $2.2m

That American flag, tattered and with possible bloodstains, that flew with Gen. George Custer at the Battle of Little Bighorn was acquired by the Detroit Institute of Arts in 1895 for a mere $54. The guidon was sold at a Sotheby’s auction last week for a not so mere $2.2 million. And why would an unidentified private collector cough up so much money? Probably because it is believed to be the only surviving flag from the ignominious battle in which 200 soldiers died.

From CNN:
Basketball ‘bible’ auction sets sports memorabilia record

UPDATE: The creator of basketball, Dr. James Naismith, wanted the sport to a gentlemanly game with no pushing and shoving. So he came up with a two-page “Founding Rules of Basketball” back in 1891. From his list of rules evolved a sport where the president of the United States could get clocked in the kisser and require 12 stitches. The document recently sold at auction for almost $4.4 million. Selby Kiffer, Sotheby’s vice president for manuscripts and books department, said “This is the birth certificate. It started here.” The winning bidders said they would take the rules to the University of Kansas where Dr. Naismith lived for four decades.

From The Associated Press via The Wall Street Journal:
RFK-owned Emancipation Proclamation goes for $3.7M

ANOTHER UPDATE: The copy of the Emancipation Proclamation that Robert F. Kennedy picked up in 1964 for $9,500 at auction brought in much more than that at auction last week. It went for the staggering sum of almost $3.8 million. The next closest Lincoln memorabilia was his 1864 reelection victory speech, which went for $3.4 million in 2009.

From The Associated Press:
Trove of JFK photos sold at auction in NYC

STILL-ANOTHER UPDATE: Twelve hundred photos taken by the first official White House photographer sold for $151,000 at a Bonhams auction, about $50,000 less than expected. A picture of Marilyn Monroe with both Bobby and Jack Kennedy sold for more than $9,000. It had been estimated to go for between $4,000 and $6,000.

From the Toronto Sun:
Dylan lyrics sell for $422,500

Ah, scribblings can bring in a lot of cash as long as they are Bob Dylan scribbling the lyrics to his classic “The Times They Are A-Changin.” Hedge-fund manager Adam Sender can now sing-a-long to the tune of $422,500 after placing the winning phone bid. It should be noted that Sender wasn’t born when Dylan wrote the song.

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Join WorthPoint on Twitter and Facebook.

From Businessweek:
Sotheby’s reports smaller 3Q loss

Okay, not the best of news, still there are some bright spots. Sotheby’s lost more than $19 million, but the stock price dropped less than expected. And, worldwide sales were strong.

From CNN:
Nuns get $220,000 from sale of rare baseball card

UPDATE: Last week, we reported about a Honus Wagner baseball card that had been given to the School Sisters of Notre Dame. The card wasn’t in mint condition, far from it. Still a Honus Wagner is a Honus Wagner, as was proved at the Heritage Auctions sale. An owner of several sports-cards and collectibles stores placed the winning bid of almost $263,000, more than $160,000 above estimates.

From BBC News:
Lady Mairi’s stamps ‘to raise £2.6m at London auction’

Lady Mairi was something of an eccentric. How else can you describe someone who met guests at the door with a cockatoo perched on her shoulder? She was a great friend of politicians and a great stamp collector. Her stellar collection will be auctioned near the end of month in London. It is expected it will sell for more than $4 million.

From ARTINFO:
Warhol Wins at Phillips’s Stellar $137 Million Debut, Sight Lines Be Damned

It was a swell housewarming present for Phillips de Pury & Company. It moved into a new space on Park Avenue in New York, and its first auction netted more than $135 million with Andy Warhol’s “Men in Her Life” silkscreen of Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Todd, Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds being the big winner.

From The Associated Press via Auction News Central:
Colorado Goodwill store auctions purported Dali print

With many things Salvador Dali, there is often the question of authenticity. Such is the case with a lithograph with his signature that showed up at a Grand Junction, Colo., thrift store. Fake or not fake? If not fake, the litho might sell for between $2,000 and $3,000. Fake, not so much. The Goodwill Store decided not to spend money on an authenticator. Instead, it will take what it can get, probably a few hundred dollars.

From Bloomberg:
Marilyn Monroe, Kennedy Brothers Recalled In White House Archive Auction

Pictures taken by the first official White House photographer are hitting the auction block. Among the images is one that had been kept in an envelope marked “sensitive material.” And what makes it sensitive? It is a shot of Marilyn Monroe in the dress so tight it left little to imagination, the dress she wore when she sang “Happy Birthday” to President John Kennedy in Madison Square Garden. Also in the picture are JFK and his brother, Robert. Rumors have long swirled that Monroe was romantically involved with both men.

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Join WorthPoint on Twitter and Facebook.

From The Dallas Morning News:
Hat worn by Jack Ruby during Oswald shooting to be auctioned in Dallas

Jack Ruby was a Dallas nightclub owner, who possibly skirted the edge of the city’s underworld. It was probably because he lavished liquor on Dallas cops that he was allowed to carry a handgun into police headquarters. Two days after the arrest of Lee Harvey Oswald for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Ruby used his gun to kill Oswald during a transfer to the county jail. A photo of the shooting became one of the most famous of that infamous time. Ruby was wearing a stylish fedora, and that hat is being auctioned for the second time in a year.

From The Detroit News:
Calif. car auction nets $14M from collectors

It had been predicted that the Bonhams & Butterfields auction would bring in $35 million, but $14 million isn’t to be sneezed at. It didn’t help that a 1939 Auto Union racer, estimated at $10 million, didn’t sell. Nor did a 1937 Bugatti (high estimate of $6 million). On the other hand, a 1961 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster brought in $804,500, more than $200,000 above its high estimate.

From Auction Central News:
Colorado man indicted in artifacts looting case, new details emerge

Some people just can’t accept that the federal government frowns on looting American Indian artifacts. The latest to be indicted is a 66-year-old Colorado man who is accused of selling some relics taken from federal land on the Internet. He is the 26th person charged in a sting operation.

From Bloomberg:
Sotheby’s Sells Tsar Family Jewelry Found in Swedish Archive

Tsar Nicholas II’s aunt wisely took some family jewels to the Swedish embassy in St. Petersburg after the Russian Revolution for safe keeping. The collection, which included 100 cigarette boxes, was put into the Swedish Foreign Ministry archives—where it sat for 91 years. And it could have sat for another 91 years if the ministry hadn’t moved the archives. It’s thought that the pieces will bring in $1.6 million at a Sotheby’s auction in November. There is no mention of who will take home the proceeds.

From The Los Angeles Times:
Police: Denver meth ring bought collector comic books to launder millions in cash

Police say a pair of meth-dealing brothers were planning to launder their ill-gotten gains by buying and selling collectible comic books.

From The Los Angeles Times:
Which of today’s clunkers will become tomorrow’s classic cars?

Cash for Clunkers has been a great success. People have rushed to get rid of gas-guzzling cars to buy more environmentally friendly ones. So who could lose? Apparently, collectors. Take the 1971 Chevrolet Monte Carlo with its 402-cubic-inch V8 engine and four-barrel carburetor. This would have been a prime- candidate clunker. But wait, it recently sold for $60,500. Who’s to say how many of today’s clunkers would have been tomorrow’s collectibles?

From Bloomberg:
Scrushy’s Antiques, Silverware Sought by Investors

There are those who feel crime shouldn’t pay. In this case, it’s investors who lost $2 billion in an accounting fraud masterminded by HealthSouth founder Richard Scrushy. Scrushy was convicted of the fraud and is now serving time in a Texas federal prison. Scrushy’s wife allegedly cleared out their Alabama home of antiques, art and furniture that was supposed to be auctioned to pay back investors. Mrs. Scrushy’s attorney maintains what was taken was her personal property.

From The Washington Post:
A True Financial Instrument?

A guitar can make beautiful money music especially if it happens to be a Les Paul. Paul developed solid-body electric guitars and was considered a guitar guru by rock legends, including Paul McCartney.

More headlines:

From Auction Central News:
Lennon-signed magazine with controversial quote to be auctioned

From Bloomberg:
Madoff Investor’s Art Dealer Got $26.5 Million in Rothko Sale

From ARTINFO:
Polaroid Asks Sotheby’s to Auction Off Famed Photo Collection

From The Art Newspaper:

Forthcoming Frida Kahlo book denounced as fake

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Join WorthPoint on Twitter and Facebook.

Problems viewing videos?

voxant.com

A John F. Kennedy signed program was one of the exciting finds at the American Presidential Experience in Denver in August 2008. Worthologist and political memorabilia expert, Tom Carrier, interviews Dennis from Denver who brought the program to the WorthPoint exhibit.

WorthPoint – Discover Your Hidden Wealth

The Camelot that was the White House in the early 1960s is evidenced by this commercially produced plate of President John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jackie. There were a couple of minor condition issues with the plate and with some minor rust issues with the campaign pinbacks from the 1960 campaign. Still, for a beginner, this makes for a nice lot for later trading and upgrades. What was the final auction value for the entire lot by Auctions Neopolitan of Florida in 2004?

A. $7
B. $26
C. $20

On the other hand, some will be rather specific as to the antiques they’ve inherited or have acquired over the years, although few will consider themselves any kind of expert. When told about WorthPoint and how it can help them evaluate what they have, they are usually very interested and quite delighted to have a credible place to turn to when it is time to sell.

So, over the past two days, I’ve been cataloguing the many different types of collectibles and antiques that folks seem to remember they have at home. As you might expect, stamps and coins, furniture and books rate as the most collected. The value of a Victorian dresser excited one “accidental” collector from Denver when Thom Pattie, our chief Worthologist, placed the value at about $1,000.

For kids, their collections consist of Legos, trains, Matchbox cars, Webkinz and the usual baseball and sports cards.

Autographed John F. Kennedy program

The most awe-inspiring item that came to us was a signed program from a fundraising dinner held in Seattle in 1959. It was a political event to benefit the campaign of a relatively unknown junior senator from Massachusetts named John F. Kennedy. It was also signed by his wife,
Jacqueline. This unusual political item has a value today of $1,000 to $1,500.

Another great item was a book jointly signed by Bess and Harry Truman, another particularly unusual presidential item, with a value of $450 to $600.

What do people collect? People told me they collect thimbles, Royal Doulton, a signed Mickey Mantle baseball, Candlewick china, an original Colorado state flag, Disney movie cells, railroad badges, all manner of weapons including a Daisy rifle, elaborate tally sheets for the game of
bridge in the early 1900s, a Victrola, school textbooks, paintings by C.W. Russell, Winnie the Pooh cookie jars, a John Denver signed photo with both his professional and given name (Henry John Deutschendorf Jr.), a Singer sewing machine dating from the 1920s and even $2 bills.

Collect the chickens, hold the mayo

In fact, one lady told me she collects anything and everything with chickens. I told her I collected chickens. too—on bread and with mayonnaise.

One of the “accidental” collectors I talked with told me she had a collection of old National Geographic magazines. As we talked, we discovered she had some very notable ones such as the November 1917 special flag issue featuring international flags, many of which no longer exist. That special issue has a value upward of $75 today. The July 1959 and 1960 issues feature the new 49- and 50-star U.S. flags with values of $10 to $15, much more than the usual $1 to $3 for general issues.

So, even if you don’t “have” a collection, you can still use WorthPoint to tell you about the “ordinary” things you do have. That is how WorthPoint helps you get the most from your antiques and collectibles.

WorthPoint — the premier Web site for art, antiques & collectibles

Among the attendees at a fundraising dinner at the Olympic Hotel in Seattle was a young Democratic activist, who asked for—and got—both Jack and Jackie to autograph the dinner program for him.

1959 fundraising program for Senator John Kennedy

Many years later, the man passed away, and the dinner program autographed by the future president and his wife was inherited by his son, Dennis, who now lives with his family in Denver.

This week, nearly 50 years after that fundraising dinner in Seattle, Dennis brought the autographed program to the WorthPoint exhibit at the American Presidential Experience and asked Worthologist Tom Carrier to give him a sense of its value. Carrier, who once worked in the White House and has a passion for and an expertise in White House memorabilia, examined the program and estimated its value at $1,000 to $1,500.

Tom Carrier visiting with Dennis and his J.F.K. program

“Dennis doesn’t want to sell the program—not yet, anyway,” Carrier says. “His father passed away several years ago, and the program is a tangible connection to his late dad and to the Kennedy family. But Dennis says he’ll keep in touch with WorthPoint just in case he changes his mind.”

Steve Johnson, WorthPoint

I have got a hand-me down newspaper cover and wanted to see, for curiosity reasons, if it is worth anything, if I should preserve it (I’d like to) and how, and if I should insure it. Cover page (title page only/ and back of) San Diego Union Tribune Nov 22 1963 Kennedy Assasinated-Extra.

There are events in our lives that stand out like no others. Most of us in my generation know where we were and what we were doing on Nov. 22, 1963 when we learned that John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

In the hours and days that followed, we lived the tragedy through media coverage of an almost unreal series of events culiminating with his funeral. It consumed our lives and we saved the newspapers and magazines with their black borders and bulletin-sized headlines. Later we bought commemorative items like glassware salt and pepper shakers that we dutifully packed and unpacked whenever we moved.

More recently, high profile estate sales brought us closer to the personal side of JFK when the combs he used, the sunglasses he wore, and even his underwear went up for auction. Prices reached astronomical levels.

But what about the value of everyday JFK items we’ve lived with all these years? Did their values rise as well? Yes and no. Let’s review the JFK collectible market and see why that is.

PERSONAL VALUE: Like any collectible of a significant national event such as the JFK assassination, items directly associated with the person have a higher collector value. If JFK touched it, owned it, gave it away, signed it, displayed it, wore it, bought it, loved it, cared for it, sat in it or visited it, that item is a first-level of collectible and commands a higher value. This is true of any historical figure from George Washington to George W. Bush.

ASSOCIATION VALUE: Items related to his political years of Congress, Senate and White House would have a relatively high level of value based on its proximity to JFK. The sign on the door of his office or on his desk, campaign signs, bumper stickers, schedules and business cards would bring values about half of those associated with items that held personal value.

EVENT VALUE: The newspapers, magazines, the funeral items and any item associated only with the assassination itself, but not a personal link or an-association with JFK, have a third level of value. These are more common items, but limited within a brief time frame.

COMMEMORATIVE VALUE: Glassware, photos, books, jewelry, plates, buttons, posters, recordings, movies, salt and pepper shakers, videos and other items were mass produced and sold to gift outlets well after JFK’s death to keep his memory alive. These commemoratives are quite plentiful and are not considered scarce or even limited. Their value continues to be the lowest in the collectible JFK market.

There are exceptions. For example, a set of keys to his Dallas limousine came to my attention some time ago. However, the keys couldn’t be verified as authentic and so the value dropped to about $10. Who knows how much they could have been worth? The keys would have had an event value, but an unusual one, so its value could be more significant than a normal event item.

Naturally, condition plays an important role, too. A personal item, such as a book in very poor condition, still would command a higher value because of its personal connection, but not as high as it could have been.

It may seem odd or a bit unseemly to consider JFK in the context of collectibles. After all, many of us remember his life and his tragic assassination with deep emotion. You might well have carried some of that attachment to your special JFK items nearly 45 years after his death. But like stocks, bonds, and real estate, our collectibles eventually need to be evaluated as to their investment value, too.

If you know where your item fits within the JFK collectible world, the better you’ll understand its value and the value of your collection overall.

It is a mystery to educated people from other countries: What is it with the American fascination with presidents?

School children know their names in order by heart. Parents date important moments of their lives by who was in the Oval Office. Many people collect objects associated with their favorites. Why?

My wife, Ines, is from Peru. When I visited her family in the early 1990s and stayed at their small farmhouse about 30 miles south of the capital, Lima, they were baffled by my interest in presidents and the buying and selling of their artifacts. Peru declared its independence from Spain in 1821. Yet very few know – or, honestly, want to know – who all the Peruvian presidents have been. (There have been 72, including the current president, Alan Garcia).

Except for artifacts associated with the royal families of Europe, few people elsewhere collect and learn about their heads of state. I don’t recall collectors vying for the signatures of prime ministers, reciting their country’s presidents during their lifetimes or knowing all the presidents of Tanzania through history.

It could very well be because U.S. presidents are, in fact, us. (Or, they claim to be.) In our system where presidents are home-grown, they come from humble and privileged beginnings alike, have been educated or not, have been provincial or international, have been part of large families or single children, are religious or not, have struggled or not and have known disaster or lifelong peace.

Or, maybe it is because under our Constitution, if you are at least 35 and born in the U.S., you are free to run for the office, but only four years at a time and then only twice. That’s it.

And, we can criticize them. We can celebrate them. We can feel pride, we can feel anger, we can feel disappointment. We will always participate in their selection and evaluation, we will always have our say and we can vow do to better. No matter how they achieved their office – election, appointment, or succession – our presidents have come from where we live and we feel responsible for them – good or bad.

Through our collecting, we identify with the philosophy of our candidates and our president. The campaigns, the rewards of office, our access to the day-to-day struggle to manage a large community of interests and peoples is something felt by every one of us, every day.

Very philosophical, I know. But where else are collectors interested in Abraham Lincoln’s pocket litter or sunglasses worn by John F. Kennedy? Where else – and why – except here, would anyone possibly care about these things?

When speaking of the charms of the president of the United States, it is usually more of a warm feeling than a physical item. But, no, I am referring to the small commemorative item worn on a bracelet. For a while, presidents gave these out as well as cuff links and tie bars.

The examples of charms I have go back to the Kennedy, Nixon and Reagan eras.

For example, the charm featuring both Lyndon Johnson and John F. Kennedy was given out in both gold and silver plated versions at the Inaugural Ball on January 20, 1961. By tradition, the inaugural medal of a first term president doesn’t feature the vice president. Lyndon Johnson, a newly elected vice president, didn’t like that and insisted, as only he could, that he be featured as well. Finally, the story goes, he compromised by having these charms issued with both his and Kennedy’s profiles on the obverse and distributed at the Inaugural balls.

The second version of charms I have are actually official gifts given by President Richard Nixon while in office. One charm is silver and the other is 10k gold plated. They may have been presented in a presentation box, but have since been separated.

President Ronald Reagan made a charm with a charm bracelet available for sale for his Inauguration in 1985. This may be the only time a charm with bracelet was offered as part of the official Inaugural gift catalog.

There must be others. Perhaps you can help identify other presidential charms?

Following its successful series of collectible coin series for the 50 state quarters and the new Jefferson nickels, the US Mint is now offering a series of $1 coins featuring the presidents of the United States in the order they served.

The obverse, or ‘heads’, features a sculpted portrait of the president. On the reverse, or ‘tails’, is the Statue of Liberty. What’s really unique about this series of coins is the use of what they call ‘edge incused inscriptions.’ This means that they inscribed the edging of the coins with the words “E Pluribus Unum”, “In God We Trust”, and the mark of the US Mint. Many other countries have done this in the past, but this is an unusual design departure for the US Mint.

President’s Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison have already been issued in 2007. The next four presidents (can you name them?) will be issued in 2008.

All images are courtesy of the US Mint.

Presidential Dollar Coin Release Schedule

Year President Years Served Release Date

2007

1 George Washington 1789-1797 February 15
2 John Adams 1797-1801 May 17
3 Thomas Jefferson 1801-1809 August 16
4 James Madison 1809-1817 November 15

2008

5 James Monroe 1817-1825 February 14
6 John Quincy Adams 1825-1829 May 15
7 Andrew Jackson 1829-1837 August 14
8 Martin Van Buren 1837-1841 November 13

2009

9 William Henry Harrison 1841
10 John Tyler 1841-1845
11 James K. Polk 1845-1849
12 Zachary Taylor 1849-1850

2010

13 Millard Fillmore 1850-1853
14 Franklin Pierce 1853-1857
15 James Buchanan 1857-1861
16 Abraham Lincoln 1861-1865

2011

17 Andrew Johnson 1865-1869
18 Ulysses S. Grant 1869-1877
19 Rutherford B. Hayes 1877-1881
20 James A. Garfield 1881

2012

21 Chester A. Arthur 1881-1885
22 Grover Cleveland 1885-1889
23 Benjamin Harrison 1889-1893
24 Grover Cleveland 1893-1897

2013

25 William McKinley 1897-1901
26 Theodore Roosevelt 1901-1909
27 William Howard Taft 1909-1913
28 Woodrow Wilson 1913-1921

2014

29 Warren Harding 1921-1923
30 Calvin Coolidge 1923-1929
31 Herbert Hoover 1929-1933
32 Franklin D. Roosevelt 1933-1945

2015

33 Harry S. Truman 1945-1953
34 Dwight D. Eisenhower 1953-1961
35 John F. Kennedy 1961-1963
36 Lyndon B. Johnson 1963-1969

2016

37 Richard M. Nixon 1969-1974
38 Gerald Ford 1974-1977

The President of the United States is a very busy person. Their entire day is mostly meetings with staff, with constituencies, with groups, with the media, with government officials, with ambassadors, with other heads of state, along with ceremonies, bill signings, speeches, travel…whew. Who would want the job. Yet, many do.

It stands to reason, then, that there really isn’t enough time in the day to sign everything. There are the official items to sign such as official legislation, general state correspondence, official appointments and so much more. Then there are the other items such as photos, christmas cards, requests, individual letters, and so on. It was estimated that the president received some 25,000 pieces of direct mail every day. One person just can’t do it all and needs help.

To do that, there are several different approaches the White House uses to provide relief to the president when it comes to the use of the signature.

First, is the use of the printed signature. On many items that is answered over and over again, a card is created that features the presidential signature under a particular sentiment. These are sent out for birthdays (80 and over only), anniversaries (50 and over only), new births, graduations, and so forth.

Second, is the use of an autopen. This is a device that uses a pre-recorded signature that mimics the actual signature when a pen or market is inserted. However, on close inspection you can tell that the signature is rather flat and overly precise. The autopen is used for appointments, cards, letters, and other relatively important items where a presidential signature would be normally used, but the volume would be too taxing.

Third, is a secretarial signature. Any busy executive has a staff member who can mimic the signature of the boss almost exactly. The president is no different. Many times, the signature of the staff person is so identical to that of the president that it is really hard to tell the difference between the staff member’s and the president’s. It is common knowledge that John F. Kennedy, for example, rarely signed his own correspondence almost his entire public life, instead relying on staff and the autopen to do the work.

A fourth type of presidential signature is the engraved signature. This one is printed, but like a raised business card, you can feel the signature on the card or letter similar to raised printing.

A presidential signature is also at times etched into glass or a special commemorative gift as well.

It is not surprising then, that so many items that are perported to be a presidential signature is really just a variant of one of the above. Someone who has spent a lot of time examining presidential correspondence and individual signatures can actually help determine just what kind of signature is represented.

Here is a very quick guide to presidential signatures. If you receive a fundraising letter bearing the president’s signature, it is printed. If you receive a christmas card, the signature is printed. If you receive a letter or card from the White House in response to a letter you originally sent, the signature is printed. Many appointments, except those with direct responsibility to the president, are autopenned. Most photographs with a sentiment that is calligraphied, the signature is autopenned. If the photo’s sentiment appears handwritten, the signature is probably original as well. Any business card from the White House has a printed signature.

The final rule of thumb on presidential signatures is: if the item was not signed by the president in your presence, see above.

All the best in your pursuit of the official presidential signature.