Lincoln's Blood-Soaked Gloves Fetch Over €6 Million at Auction

A set of items associated with President Abraham Lincoln, featuring the blood-spotted leather gloves he wore on the evening of his assassination, has been auctioned off in the United States for $7.9 million (€6.9 million).

A total of 144 items are being sold to settle the remaining balance of an eight-million-dollar ($8M; €7M) debt that has been outstanding for around twenty years. This debt was incurred by the Lincoln Presidential Foundation when they purchased a unique collection of Abraham Lincoln memorabilia from a collector based in California.

The gloves turned out to be the biggest hit, selling for $1.52 million (€1.35 million), which includes the premium fee. Among them were one pair from a set of handkerchiefs that President Abraham Lincoln carried with him on the fateful evening of April 14, 1865—the day he was assassinated—selling at an auction price of $826,000 (€731,000).

A "wanted" poster showcasing images of three individuals involved in the plot to assassinate, spearheaded by John Wilkes Booth, was auctioned off for $762,500 (€674,72 million), significantly surpassing the highest projected value of $120,000 (€106 million).

The oldest known example of the 16th president’s handwriting, dating back to his notebook in 1824, sold for $521,200 (€461,140).

In 2012, a dispute emerged regarding an item once considered the pride of the collection – a stovepipe hat valued at approximately $6 million, which was claimed to have been gifted by Lincoln to a supporter in Southern Illinois.

The narrative faced significant examination after being highlighted by the Chicago Sun-Times, leading to a 2019 research which concluded that there was no proof linking the cap to Lincoln. This particular item wasn’t included in Wednesday’s sale.

In 2007, the foundation acquired a collection of 1,540 items from Louise Taper for the nascent Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. This institution, inaugurated in 2005 in the city where he started his legal career and resided during his tenure in both the Illinois legislature and briefly in Congress, now houses these artifacts.

The artifacts were meant to provide both the library and museum, abundant with Lincoln-related documents, an enhancement where they fell short: intriguing items that draw visitors.

However, the fundraising progressed slowly, leading to the sale of parts of the collection not related to Lincoln, with threats from the foundation to sell even more before they ultimately decided to extend the loan period.