Thirteenth Amendment and Emancipation Proclamation to Auction with $17m Estimate
Sotheby's
Emancipation Proclamation and Thirteenth Amendment in-situ
Coming to auction at Sotheby’s later this month will be the Thirteenth Amendment (estimate: $8m-$12m) and the Emancipation Proclamation (estimate: $3m-$5m, both signed by President Abraham Lincoln.
The documents will be on public view at Sotheby’s York Avenue galleries in New York June 20-25, alongside other highlights from Sotheby’s June Books & Manuscripts sales ahead of the auction on June 26.
Sotheby's describes them as the most valuable copies of each document to ever come to auction. The congressional copy of the Thirteenth Amendment is one of only 15 recorded manuscript copies signed by Lincoln, and one of just nine signed by Lincoln alongside the senators and congressmen who passed it for ratification by the states. Only four of these are in private hands, and of those four, this copy bears the most signatures of the supporting legislators (96%). More than a dozen additional manuscripts are known signed by Senators, Congressmen, and other officials, but with the space for the President’s signature left blank.
This example of the Emancipation Proclamation is also signed by Lincoln. Some 48 limited edition copies were produced to be sold - for the then high sum of $10 each - to benefit the Sanitary Commission which provided vital medical care and support for Union soldiers. This was a cause close to President Lincoln’s heart. Of the 48 limited edition copies printed for this purpose, only 27 including the present, are known to survive.
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Sotheby's
A fine manuscript copy of the Thirteenth Amendment, signed by Abraham Lincoln as 16th President
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Sotheby's
The Authorized Edition of the Emancipation Proclamation, signed by Abraham Lincoln as 16th President
Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation demonstrated for the first time the President’s acknowledgement that the Civil War was being waged not only to preserve the Union, but also to abolish slavery. While the document was criticized at the time because it freed enslaved people only in Confederate held territory, the document led directly to the legal abolition of slavery across the country.
Although immediate reaction was favorable, criticism soon followed. Lincoln listened to suggestions and amendments from his Cabinet and then retired to draft the final version of the historic document. His legalistic prose ensured that the Emancipation Proclamation could withstand potential court challenges to its constitutionality, and he withheld emancipation from the border states because of his allegiance to due process.
"These documents are rare and profoundly important pieces of the story of America," said Selby Kiffer, Sotheby's Senior International Specialist for Books & Manuscripts. "Though distinct, they are inextricably linked, with the Emancipation Proclamation laying the groundwork for the Thirteenth Amendment. Each bears the signature of Abraham Lincoln, who viewed this cause as the most important achievement of his presidency, an unwavering pursuit that shaped his life and defined his legacy."
