Items Signed by Lincoln, Washington, Frederick Douglass are in University Archives' May 6 Auction

A George Washington free frank signature dated January 5, 1780, PSA/DNA slabbed and certified authentic; an Abraham Lincoln signed partial check dated February 8, 1861; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Ron Perranoski’s 1965 World Series ring; and a Frederick Douglass signed letter dated March 13, 1893 are just a few highlight lots in University Archives’ online-only Rare Autographs, Manuscripts & Books auction planned for Wednesday, May 6th.

The auction, starting promptly at 10:00am Eastern Time, is filled with items in many categories. The catalog in its entirety – all 474 lots – is up for viewing and bidding now on the University Archives website, www.UniversityArchives.com, plus the popular platforms Invaluable.com, Auctionzip.com and LiveAuctioneers.com. Telephone and absentee bids will also be accepted.

“We are proud to present Civil War memorabilia from the collection of Larry Berra, eldest son of baseball legend Yogi Berra, whose collection consists of signed CDVs, autograph letters signed, signature clips, as well as orders and discharge papers signed by major Union and Confederate generals and naval commanders,” said John Reznikoff, the president and owner of University Archives.

The generals and naval commanders include (in alphabetical order): Burnside, Doubleday, Farragut, Garfield, Gibbon, Grant, Halleck, Hancock, Hooker, Longstreet, Lyon, Meade, Porter, Rosecrans, Ruggles, Schofield, Scott, Sheridan, Sherman, Thomas, Warren, and others. As always, collectors will also be able to find superb historical memorabilia from U.S. Presidents, Early America, Civil Rights, Sports, Music, Science, and Literature, as well as Space/Aviation.

Lot 105 is the George Washington free frank signature, PSA/DNA slabbed and certified authentic. The cover, dated January 5, 1780, was written in Morris Town, New Jersey and addressed to Rev-War hero Colonel Stephan Moylan of Colchester, Connecticut, the leader of “Moylan’s Horse,” or the 4th Continental Light Dragoons. Estimate: $12,000-$15,000.

Lot 45 is the Abraham Lincoln signed partial check, dated February 8, 1861 from Springfield, Illinois, just two days before he left for Washington, D.C. and the presidency. The partial check may have been issued to Lincoln’s gunsmith, Francis E. Payer. A May 1891 Robert Todd Lincoln autograph letter signed accompanying the lot authenticates the relic. Estimate: $9,000-$12,000.

Lot 468 is Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Ron Perranoski’s personally owned and worn 1965 World Series Championship ring. The Balfour 14K gold ring inlaid with a blue stone was consigned to UA by Ron’s longtime girlfriend and Attorney-in-Fact. Perranoski helped the Dodgers secure the ’65 World Series win over the Minnesota Twins. Estimate: $30,000-$40,000.

Lot 212 is a Frederick Douglass letter signed, dated March 13, 1893, addressed to Frederick Perry Noble, Secretary of the African Congress. Noble was laying the groundwork for the African Congress, which convened as part of the 1893 Columbian Exposition. The symposium exploring African history, language, geography, and sociology attracted 100 black and white speakers and essay entrants from 20 countries, including Douglass. Estimate: $35,000-$50,000.

Lot 216 is a first edition copy of Joseph Smith, Jr.’s The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon, Upon Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi…” (Palmyra: Printed by E.B. Grandin, 1830). This early book was printed just two weeks before the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was formally established, and is the only edition where Smith is referred to as an “author” and not a “translator” as in later editions. Estimate: $180,000-$220,000.

Notably, a similar, library-owned printing of this 1830 Palmyra edition sold for a record price of $250,000 (including the buyer’s premium) at University Archives’ February 18, 2026 auction.

Lot 247 is a Bob Dylan handwritten set of song lyrics for Wiggle Wiggle, the opening track of his 27th studio album, “Under the Red Sky,” PSA/DNA certified authentic. Dylan inscribed over 220 words of what appears to be an early version of the song lyrics. Estimate: $24,000-$35,000. Also, Lot 246 is a PSA/DNA certified authentic Dylan signed postcard showing him performing.

Lot 447 is an Albert Einstein autograph manuscript in German featuring over 12 mathematical equations. The manuscript demonstrates Einstein’s working process, through numerous rewrites, cross-outs, and edits, but also through its step-by-step premises and conclusions. Einstein’s manuscript, which is PSA/DNA slabbed and certified authentic, is part of the physicist’s ongoing attempt in the 1940s to fully articulate his Unified Field Theory. Estimate: $20,000-$30,000.

Lot 427 is a document signed and plat map entirely executed in Daniel Boone’s hand, in his role as District Surveyor of Lafayette County, in present-day Kentucky. Boone outlined the extent of Gaddis Winston’s 5,000-acre property on June 25, 1784, the same year that John Filson’s The Discovery, Settlement and Present State of Kentucke was published. Filson was the first author to mythologize Boone as the quintessential American frontiersman. Estimate: $15,000-$20,000.

Lot 214 is a Martin Luther King, Jr. typed letter signed and addressed to minister Thomas T. Chapin, leader of the First Presbyterian Church of Morrison, Illinois. The letter, dated October 29, 1963, thanked Chapin’s congregation for their monetary contribution to the SCLC, leading King to state optimistically that “this sweltering summer of discontent can be transformed into an invigorating autumn of justice and freedom for all people…" Estimate: $12,000-$18,000.

Lot 424 is a J.D. Salinger typed letter signed, accompanied by its original enclosure, an unpublished typed draft of Salinger’s proposed dust jacket copy for his upcoming book, Raise High the Roofbeam, Carpenters, together comprising over 360 typed words with two hand-corrections. In this September 9, 1962 letter and enclosures sent to Little, Brown, and Company editor-in-chief Ned Bradford, Salinger refers by name to his three most famous novels. Estimate: $12,000-$15,000.

Lot 244 is a vintage black and white photograph of The Beatles taken by Dezo Hoffman, signed by all four bandmates during their first trip to the United States in February 1964. The photo was acquired by Cashbox Magazine editor Marty Ostrow about the same time The Beatles performed on the Ed Sullivan Show, effectively launching Beatlemania in ‘64. Estimate: $10,000-$12,000.

Lot 34 is a Thomas Jefferson autograph letter signed, PSA/DNA slabbed and graded GEM MT 10. In this letter written at Monticello on October 17, 1816, Jefferson thanks Henry A.S. Dearborn for sending him the English translation of a scientific work by French agronomist Charles Philibert de Lasteyrie, originally published in 1811, and speaks to the ex-president’s lifelong interest in agriculture. Estimate: $10,000-$12,000.

Here is a link to the catalog on the University Archives website:
https://www.universityarchives.com/auction-catalog/rare-autographs-manuscripts-books-photographs_RVTJNG7CKG

University Archives has become world-renowned as a go-to source for rare items of this kind. It is actively seeking quality material for future auctions, presenting a rare opportunity for sellers. Anyone who has a single item or a collection that may be a fit for a future University Archives auction may call John Reznikoff at 203-454-0111; or email him at john@universityarchives.com.

To learn more about University Archives and the online-only Rare Autographs, Manuscripts & Books auction on Wednesday, May 6th, visit www.UniversityArchives.com. Updates are posted frequently.

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