67 95LINCOLN, Abraham. Printed document signed: ship’s papers. Washington, DC, September 26, 1864. Broadside, measures 22 by 18 inches, partially printed, original white wafer seal of the Presidency affixed; handsomely matted and framed. $38,000 A remarkable ship’s passport signed by President Lincoln and his Secretary of State William Seward during the Civil War, authorizing passage for the ship Waverly, “lying at present in the port of New Bedford bound for Pacific Ocean, and laden with provisions, stores, and utensils for a whaling voyage.” Written authorization to sail the high seas and dock at the country’s harbors, in the form of presidentially signed ship’s papers, was a valuable and desirable privilege. Before conferring such a license, officials were charged with establishing the legitimacy of a vessel, its cargo and its personnel, and the ship’s papers were intended to authorize a craft’s mission and purpose. Printed in four columns with text in French, Spanish, English, and Dutch. The Waverly’s unfortunate fate was to be one of the last ships destroyed by the Confederates, on June 29, 1865—months after Lee’s surrender at Appomattox on April 9, 1865 and Lincoln’s assassination a week later. Faint fold lines, very mild smudging to Lincoln and Seward signatures. Very handsomely framed. Extremely Rare Ship’s Papers For A Whaling Voyage Signed By Abraham Lincoln As President And Secretary Of State William Seward
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