Field Index — Founding-era manuscripts, presidential documents, numismatics

Political & Historical — Realized Sales Index

Political and historical memorabilia is the quiet structural outperformer in the Field Index. Founding Era manuscripts (Washington, Adams, Hamilton, Jefferson), presidential documents, and numismatic pieces have posted double-digit annual gains for three consecutive years, driven by institutional collecting and estate-driven consignment.

Tracked sales
8
Median sale
$145K
Highest sale
$18.9M
Aggregate hammer
$37.3M

What drives value

  • Era and historical significance (Founding Era > Civil War > 20th century)
  • Document type — full ALS (autograph letter signed) > DS (document signed) > free frank
  • Content significance (substantive content vs. routine administrative)
  • PCGS/NGC grading for coins; comprehensive provenance for documents
  • Provenance to a documented institutional or family collection

Where it sells

  • Heritage Manuscripts
  • Raab Collection (presidential)
  • Christie's (high-end documents)
  • Stack's Bowers (numismatics)
  • Hake's Americana (campaign material)

All tracked sales

Every political & historical comp in the Field Index.

Searchable, sortable. Click any row for full provenance, source citations, comparable comps, and editorial notes.

Showing 8 of 8 tracked sales.

Item Price
Ross Perot 1992 campaign poster (original)

Political Campaign Memorabilia

$450
Abraham Lincoln signed cabinet appointment document (1861)

Presidential Documents

$68K
1860 Lincoln-Hamlin jugate campaign ferrotype

Political Campaign Memorabilia

$19K
John F. Kennedy 1960 campaign jugate button (blue background)

Political Campaign Memorabilia

$4K
George Washington signed letter (1789)

Presidential Documents

$145K
1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle gold coin (Weitzman specimen)

Numismatics — U.S. Coins

$18.9M
1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar (the Carter-Cardinal specimen)

Numismatics — U.S. Coins

$10.0M
1776 Dunlap broadside of the Declaration of Independence

Founding Era Documents

$8.14M

Recently tracked

The four most-recent sales added.