$7.9 Million Worth Of Lincoln Memorabilia Sold At Chicago Auction

As someone who has long been a lover of history, I would have been thrilled to be at Freeman’s/Hindman Auctions in Chicago on Wednesday night for their incredible auction of 144 of Abraham Lincoln's personal items along with memorabilia from the time of his assassination in April of 1865.

Thrilled to be there, yes, but when I look at some of the prices these Lincoln pieces commanded from the assembled bidders, I realize that I couldn't even have afforded the tables that the items were placed on.

That's okay, there were plenty of monied individuals there for the auction, and they didn't mind spending some big money at all. Let's take a look at where they spent the most.

Clothing Items, Wanted Posters, Personal Letters, Theater Tickets, And So Much More Went On The Auction Block In Chicago

The Lincoln Presidential Foundation in Springfield found that they needed to sell the items in order to pay off what was left of a loan they took out in order to acquire a broader Lincoln memorabilia collection also known as the Taper Collection, that the foundation purchased with a $23 million loan in 2007.

They didn't get $23 million on Wednesday night, but they did rake in nearly $8 million when it was all over.

Here are some of the items that were sold, along with the price paid by the winning bidders:

A pair of stained leather gloves carried by Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre the night of his assassination. Estimated at $800,000-$1.2 million. Sold for $1.2 million.

A handkerchief carried by Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre on the night of his assassination. Estimated at $100,000 - $200,000. Sold for $650,000.

A poster showing a $100,000 reward for Lincoln’s at-large assassin. Estimated at $80,000 - $120,000. Sold for $600,000.

A double-sided “sum book” page with the earliest known example of Lincoln’s writing from when he was about 15 years old. Estimated at $300,000 - $400,000. Sold for $410,000.

A cuff button with the initial ‘L’ removed from Lincoln’s wrist by Dr. Charles Sabin Taft as he searched for the president’s pulse after he was shot. Estimated at $200,000 - $300,000. Sold for $350,000.

An orchestra ticket stub for a performance of “Our American Cousin” at Ford’s Theatre the night of Lincoln’s assassination. Estimated at $50,000 - $70,000. Sold for $300,000.

Some of the other items included a piece of Lincoln's coat from the night of his assassination.

Lincoln's drinking glasses from the White House.

And an autographed photo.