Rare Americana from Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and Leading Abolitionists, Plus The Book of Mormon, Lead Freeman’s Books & Manuscript Auction to a $1.9M Day
“This remarkable collection of unique documents dealing primarily with the abolitionist movement, but also educational reform and anti-slavery in general, descended through May’s family and has never before been offered for sale,” Darren Winston, SVP, Head of Department, Books & Manuscripts.
Lot 38 | Flagg, James Montgomery. I Want YouFor U.S. Army | SOLD FOR $17,920
Americana was in high demand at Freeman’s August 20 Books & Manuscripts auction, as important documents, manuscripts, and books from America’s founding fathers, religious leaders, abolitionists, and African Americans led the sale well past its presale estimate to a $1.9 million day.
Lot 23 | Franklin, Benjamin. Partially-Printed Promissory Note, Accomplished and Twice Signed | SOLD FOR $352,000
Franklin Repays US Debt to France
The top lot of the sale was an exceptionally rare promissory note printed, accomplished, and twice signed by Benjamin Franklin at his celebrated Passy press outside Paris in December 1781, which sold for $352,000 (Lot 23). Issued less than two months after the American victory at Yorktown, the document recorded repayment of a French government loan that helped finance the Revolutionary War at a pivotal moment in the nation's fight for independence. Printed as part of a limited series of certificates supporting loans negotiated by Franklin during his tenure as Minister Plenipotentiary to France, the document is among the last works produced at his Passy press. Only a small number remain in private hands, making it one of the most significant Revolutionary-era financial documents to come to auction in recent decades.
Lot 43 | Smith, Joseph. The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon, Upon Plates Taken From the Plates of Nephi | SOLD FOR $230,400
One of the Most Sought-After Works in American Religious History
The top book of the auction was an exceedingly rare first edition of The Book of Mormon that beat its presale estimate of $100,000 - $150,000 selling for $230,400 (Lot 43). One of the defining religious publications of the nineteenth century, the rare first edition was published in 1830, just days before the formal establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was the only edition identifying Joseph Smith as the book's author rather than its translator and retained its original witness testimonies. With only an estimated 500 - 700 copies surviving of the original 5,000 printed, it is among the most sought-after works in American religious history.
Lot 6 | Cuffe, Paul. Autograph Letter, signed | SOLD FOR $96,000
Important African Americana Collection Nearly Triples Estimate
The auction featured several collections from across the country but perhaps the most extraordinary was the archive of American abolitionist Rev. Samuel J. May. “This remarkable collection of unique documents dealing primarily with the abolitionist movement, but also educational reform and anti-slavery in general, descended through May’s family and has never before been offered for sale,” explained Darren Winston, SVP, Head of Department, Books & Manuscripts. “They may not rewrite history, but they will certainly help to color in the lines.”
Across 20 lots, the collections achieved a total of $233,808, nearly three times their pre-sale estimate of $85,000 - $132,800. The top lot of the collection was a rare autograph letter by Black entrepreneur, abolitionist, Quaker, and pioneering Pan-Africanist, Paul Cuffe (Lot 6), selling for $96,000 against a pre-sale estimate of $15,000 - $25,000. Written just weeks before his departure for his final voyage to Sierra Leone in 1815, the letter details the logistical and financial arrangements for transporting free Black families from Massachusetts to West Africa aboard his brig Traveller. Largely financed by Cuffe himself, the expedition became the first African American-led effort to voluntarily resettle free Black Americans in Africa. With only a handful of Cuffe letters known to have appeared at auction, the document offers an extraordinary firsthand account of one of the earliest chapters in the Back-to-Africa movement.
Other Highlights
-Lot 198 | George Washington. Letter, signed
President Washington Sends the First Major Law Passed by Congress, the Tariff Act of 1789 | SOLD FOR $128,000
-Lot 200 | Illuminated Exequatur for American Diplomat Thomas Barclay The Sultan of Morocco's Exequatur for American Diplomat Thomas Barclay, Saluting President Washington and Recognizing Barclay's Mission to Negotiate a Treaty of Peace and Friendship Between Them | SOLD FOR $108,800
-Lot 176 | By the President of the United States of America. A Proclamation, The Official and First Obtainable Broadside Printing of Lincoln's Final Emancipation Proclamation | SOLD FOR $70,400
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.