Ever want to own a letter written by Thomas Jefferson? Here’s your chance.
The Associated Press reported that the Raab Collection of Philadelphia is selling a letter written by the former president for the low, low price of $35,000. Previously, it belonged to an unknown collector, far from the eyes of scholars or the public.
As published on the Raab Collection’s website, The letter discusses the fate of the Poplar Forest plantation, owned by Jefferson, after his death. Addressed to the plantation’s former overseer, Bowling Clark, Jefferson writes “the time is now approaching when I shall wish to be parceling off some of my lands here to my grandchildren.”
The Raab Collection calls the letter “a significant find”, since no information has ever been seen before now that suggests Jefferson had any interest in providing for his grandchildren.
1805 Thomas Jefferson letter for sale at $35,000: http://t.co/DxxX5pePqQ The president thinking of his grandchildren pic.twitter.com/hAOA8M8aJv
— Yahoo (@Yahoo) May 14, 2014
Then again, $35,000 may be a bargain after all. Back in 2011, according to the Examiner, another letter from 1805 was auctioned off by the Nate D. Sanders Auction house in Santa Monica, California for $226,870
The 1805 letter is only the latest written by Jefferson to be shown off by Raab. Just last week, another letter was tweeted out, from 1809, detailing Jefferson’s relationship with Harvard University:
Latest acquisition: letter of #ThomasJefferson relating to #Harvard pic.twitter.com/ci8OpgTblr
— Raab Collection (@RaabCollection) May 7, 2014
According to its website, the Raab Collection was founded by attorney, author, and collector Steven Raab three decades ago as “an outlet for his love of history”. Since then, it has “discovered and carried some of the most important historical documents, advising public and private clients worldwide.”
The find may be important, but will these letters show up in a miniseries like John Adams? We’ll just have to wait and see.
Image via Wikimedia Commons