Freeman’s Announces Landmark Series of Auctions Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary

Freeman’s—America’s oldest auction house, founded in Philadelphia—is celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary with a series of auctions and programs showcasing historically significant art, objects, books, and documents. Timed to coincide with major commemorative moments throughout the year, the initiative highlights the depth and breadth of material culture that has shaped the American experience.

 

For more than two centuries, Freeman’s has preserved the legacies of collectors, institutions, and estates across the country, placing the firm in a unique position to honor the Semiquincentennial. In this milestone year, the auction house will present works that illuminate the nation’s founding, its evolution, and the defining moments that continue to shape its identity today.

“Few institutions in the country have witnessed as much of the American story firsthand as Freeman’s. As we approach the nation’s 250th anniversary, we are honored to share works that reveal the ambition, complexity, and innovation that define the United States. Our 2026 program reflects both our history and our commitment to shaping the cultural dialogue for decades to come,” said Alyssa Quinlan, CEO of Freeman’s.

 

A Year of Commemorative Sales

Freeman’s 2026 program will begin in mid-January and unfold through a series of landmark auctions and events in Philadelphia, New York City, and Chicago.

 

LEFT TO RIGHT
Lot 148: Washington, George. Autograph Letter, signed | Estimate $250,000 – 350,000
Lot 29: Letter of credence appointing Benjamin Franklin, Silas Deane, and Thomas Jefferson commissioners to the court of France to negotiate a treaty of alliance, September 30, 1776" | Estimate $150,000 – 250,000

 

Printed and Manuscript Americana — January 29, Philadelphia
Freeman’s celebration of America’s Semiquincentennial will kick off on January 29 with the Printed and Manuscript Americana auction in Philadelphia, offering exceptional historical documents and primary-source materials that trace the nation’s early political, cultural, and intellectual formation.

Highlights Include:

• Lot 148 | Washington, George. Autograph Letter, signed
  Estimate: $250,000 – 350,000
  Written just weeks before his inauguration, this exceptional March 15, 1789 letter captures George Washington’s philosophy at the very birth of the American presidency. Declaring that he would enter office “totally free from pre-engagements” and guided only by “justice & the public good,” Washington articulates a rare and definitive statement of merit-based governance before any presidential precedents had been set. The phrase appears only infrequently in his writings and, in this instance, represents the sole example known to reach the market, making the letter one of the most historically significant Washington documents remaining in private hands.
• Lot 29 | Hancock, John. Manuscript Document, signed
  The Seed of American Victory Over Great Britain: The Continental Congress Appoints the American Envoy to France—Benjamin Franklin, Silas Deane, and Thomas Jefferson
  Estimate: $150,000–250,000
  A rare 1776 manuscript document signed by John Hancock, issued by the Continental Congress, appointing Benjamin Franklin, Silas Deane, and Thomas Jefferson as America’s first commissioners to France to negotiate a treaty of alliance. A document of great historical importance, it marks the beginning of U.S. diplomacy and helped secure French support that was crucial to American independence. Newly discovered, this is one of only three known extant official copies, the others preserved in institutional collections.

 

LEFT TO RIGHT
Charles Alfred Barry, The Greek God, 1892 | Estimate $60,000 – 80,000
A rare period tintype of Abraham Lincoln: The "Beardstown Portrait," ca 1860. | Estimate $15,000 – 20,000

The Fathers and Saviors of Our Country: A Presidential Sale — March 26, Chicago
In March, Freeman’s will present The Fathers and Saviors of Our Country: A Presidential Sale, a multi-category auction anchored by several important private collections. Centered around George Washington—the father—and Abraham Lincoln—the savior—alongside material relating to other influential presidents, this sale will explore leadership, legacy, and the evolving vision that shaped the republic.

Highlights Include:

• Charles Alfred Barry, The Greek God, 1892
  Estimate: $60,000 – 80,000

With a letter of introduction from the Governor of Massachusetts, drawing master Charles Alfred Barry traveled to Springfield and secured Abraham Lincoln’s first sitting from life. Barry produced two works from the session: a crayon drawing—rediscovered decades later—and this oil painting, which he kept because he believed it was the stronger likeness. The portrait is offered with the original letter of introduction, firmly establishing its provenance and resolving the long-uncertain history of the painting’s whereabouts.

• A rare period tintype of Abraham Lincoln: The "Beardstown Portrait," ca 1860.
  Estimate: $15,000 – 20,000

This exceptional tintype depicts Abraham Lincoln as a beardless lawyer taken in 1858. Apart from the original ambrotype preserved at the University of Nebraska, it is believed to be the only surviving period copy and is considered one of the most important pre-presidential images of Lincoln. The portrait was made shortly after Lincoln’s famous victory in the Armstrong “Almanac Trial,” a defining moment in his early legal career.

• An exceedingly rare 34-star eagle parade flag, ca 1861-1863.
  Estimate: $50,000 – 100,000
  This Lincoln–Johnson campaign flag is distinguished by its bold heraldic eagle—one of the rarest motifs in small-format political flags—and by the 34-star count symbolizing Lincoln’s insistence on an indivisible Union. Bearing the names of two future presidents, it is among the scarcest surviving examples of Lincoln’s second-campaign imagery, with only one comparable eagle flag traced at auction. 
• An important New Hampshire Wide Awakes banner, ca March 1860.
  Estimate: $50,000 – 100,000
  A large-format banner carried in Wide Awake torchlight parades, bearing powerful Unionist slogans on both sides, including Lincoln’s own words from the Cooper Union Address: “Let us have faith that right makes might.” Uniquely documented as the banner presented after New Hampshire’s 1860 state election, it directly links grassroots political activism to Lincoln’s rise to national prominence.

 

LEFT TO RIGHT
Jefferson, Thomas. Autograph letter, signed to Marquis Chastellux
Malden, Charles Robert. Log book kept by Midshipman Charles R. Malden, RN, aboard the HMS Trave, May 1814 to May 1816.

How History Unfolds on Paper: Important Americana from the Eric C. Caren Collection, Part X — June 30, Philadelphia
This June, Freeman’s will offer property from the renowned collection of Eric Caren, a single-owner auction representing one of the most extensive documentations of American history in private hands. The collection spans the period before national independence through westward expansion, the Civil War and Reconstruction, the Civil Rights Movement, and into the 21st century.

Highlights Include:

• Jefferson, Thomas. Autograph Letter, signed, January 16, 1783, to Francois Jean de Chastellux.
  Estimate to be Announced
  Written shortly before Thomas Jefferson’s appointment as Minister Plenipotentiary to France, this exceptional letter is addressed to the principal liaison between the French and Continental Armies during the American Revolution. Jefferson reflects on the Treaty of Paris—ratified just two days earlier and formally ending the war—discusses the forthcoming publication of Notes on the State of Virginia, and offers a measured assessment of the young nation’s mood, firmly dismissing European rumors of anarchy.
• Malden, Charles Robert. Log book kept by Midshipman Charles R. Malden, RN, aboard the HMS Trave, May 1814 to May 1816. 
  Estimate to be Announced
  Extensive ship’s log kept by future Royal Navy officer Charles Malden while serving aboard the HMS Trave. Among the detailed entries is a first-person account of the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812, and the fateful shelling of Fort McHenry, the inspiration for Francis Scott Key's Star Spangled Banner. Entries for the night of September 13-14, 1814 include: “Bombs and Frigates…commenced a tremendous heavy fire on the Batteries near Baltimore & sent a supply of ammunition on shore for the use of the Army...”

Throughout the year, additional auctions will spotlight American art, decorative arts, furniture, jewelry, and culturally significant property tied to defining moments across the nation’s 250-year history. A selection of these include:

• American Furniture, Folk & Decorative Arts – April 28, Philadelphia
• American Art and Western and Contemporary Native American Art – June 7, Philadelphia
• American Art & Pennsylvania Impressionism – June 7, Philadelphia

Highlights and further details about Freeman’s 2026 program will be announced in the coming months. 

Freeman’s is currently accepting consignments of important American property that reflects the breadth and complexity of the national narrative—from the Founding Fathers to contemporary visionaries. 

Auction Previews and Programming

Americana Week
January 23 – 28, 2026 | 32 East 67th Street, New York, NY

As part of Americana Week, Freeman’s will host previews and events at its New York gallery on the Upper East Side. Visitors will have the opportunity to view highlights from the upcoming 2026 Semiquincentennial auctions and attend a panel. The panel on January 27 will feature Abraham Lincoln expert, lecturer, and author Daniel Weinberg; former Chief Historian and Curator of the Museum of the American Revolution, Philip C. Mead, Ph.D., and Freeman’s Senior Specialists Darren Winston and Christopher Brink, offering insights into the history and significance of the works on view. Freeman’s will also bring the panel discussion to Chicago in March.

How to Bid

The auctions will be offered live in Freeman’s Philadelphia and Chicago salerooms. Bidding will be available in person, over the phone, and via absentee or live online bidding. For more information, please visit freemansauction.com.

About Freeman’s

Freeman’s is a premier American auction house offering services in multiple categories including fine art, jewelry, design, books and manuscripts, furniture, decorative arts, antiquities, couture, and Asian works of art. With 16 regional locations nationwide, the firm provides auctions, appraisals, private sales, and art advisory services, connecting clients to the global art market. Freeman’s strives to bring art, history, and design to life by connecting people with extraordinary objects through exceptional service and expertise.