Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. Sale

The Dr. John L. Robertson Collection of Free Franks continued...

**Presidents of the United States continued...**
Lot	Sym.	Lot Description	Est/Cat	Realized
4119		Rutherford B. Hayes. Signed "R B Hayes" as President in pencil on Executive Mansion cover to Hon. Martin Townsend at local address, trivial edgewear, Very Fine, delivered by hand outside the mails (Image)	E. 200-300	625.00
4120		James A. Garfield. Free frank "J A Garfield MC" as member of Congress on cover to Bangor Me., bold "Washington D.C. Free Feb. 4" circular datestamp, missing top flap, Very Fine (Image)	E. 200-300	300.00
4121		William McKinley. Unauthorized franking signature "William McKinley" as President on Executive Mansion imprint cover addressed in his hand to the "U.S. Diplomatic and Consular Offices", missing top flap and tiny edge tears VERY FINE. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF ASSASSINATED PRESIDENT WILLIAM McKINLEY'S AUTOGRAPH FRANK. William McKinley did not have free-franking privileges as President, therefore, envelopes bearing his signature are extremely rare. This cover was carried outside the mails. No other example has been located in major collections such as Hart, Hessel, Joyce, Stern or Grunin. Ex Kantor. (Image)	E. 4,000-5,000	9,500.00
4122		Theodore Roosevelt. Free frank "Theodore Roosevelt" as ex-President on cover to James R. Garfield in Cleveland O., neat "Oyster Bay N.Y. Dec. 12, 1916" machine cancel VERY FINE. ONLY A FEW COVERS EXIST WITH THEODORE ROOSEVELT'S FREE FRANK AS EX-PRESIDENT. Although Roosevelt was not authorized to frank mail as ex-President, evidently he and the Oyster Bay post office were under the impression he did. Only a few covers are known, all from Roosevelt's retirement home in Oyster Bay, Long Island. Ex Kantor. (Image)	E. 3,000-4,000	4,250.00
4123		William Howard Taft. Signed "Wm. H. Taft C.J." as ex-President and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court on legal-size Supreme Court Official Business imprint cover to Detroit Mich., slightly reduced at right, Very Fine, an extremely rare cover bearing Taft's signature as Chief Justice -- Taft did not have franking privileges as ex-President or Chief Justice (Image)	E. 1,500-2,000	2,400.00
4124		Woodrow Wilson. Free frank "Woodrow Wilson" as President on White House imprint cover to his Secretary of War, Newton D. Baker, Washington D.C. Nov. 19, 1918 machine cancel VERY FINE. THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF WOODROW WILSON'S FREE FRANK. Woodrow Wilson's free frank is exceedingly rare. No other example could be found in the collections formed by Hart, Hessel, Stern Joyce or Grunin. Ex Kantor. (Image)	E. 10,000-15,000	17,500.00
4125		Calvin Coolidge. Free frank "Calvin Coolidge" as President on White House imprint cover to Philip Ward in Philadelphia, "Washington D.C. Nov. 15" duplex cancel, Very Fine and extremely rare (Image)	E. 750-1,000	3,000.00
4126		Herbert Hoover. Free frank "Herbert Hoover" as President on White House imprint cover to Philip Ward in Pa., neat "Washington D.C. Jan. 21 2PM 1930" duplex, typewritten "Free" VERY FINE. ONE OF THREE RECORDED COVERS FRANKED BY HERBERT HOOVER AS PRESIDENT. Other examples of Hoover's presidential frank will be found in the Stern and Hessel collections. Ex Kantor. (Image)	E. 4,000-5,000	5,750.00
4127		Franklin Roosevelt. Free frank "Franklin Roosevelt" as President on light green White House imprint cover to New York, "Washington D.C. Sep. 15, 1940" datestamp VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE FREE FRANK OF FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT AS PRESIDENT ON A POSTMARKED "WHITE HOUSE" COVER. President Roosevelt did not have the legal right to frank mail, but a few examples on regular White House envelopes were successfully passed through the mails during his administration. According to a story told by one of Roosevelt's admirers, Republican party officials wanted to acquire an example to show that Roosevelt had no respect for the laws of the country. Accompanied by an authentication letter from Charles Hamilton. (Image)	E. 1,500-2,000	2,800.00
4128		Franklin Roosevelt. Signature at top left of 1928 Houston Convention illustrated cover to Washington D.C. also signed by Alfred Smith, postage paid by 10c Lindbergh Air Post stamp tied by "Houston Texas June 26, 1928" cancel, several purple handstamps of kicking donkey with "He's in Houston" slogan, receiving backstamps, Very Fine, scarce signed cover postmarked on the first day of the convention (Image)	E. 400-500	1,100.00
4129		Harry Truman. Free frank "Harry Truman" as President on light green White House imprint cover to Senator Johnson in Washington D.C., well-struck "Washington D.C. Sep. 23, 1948" datestamp VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY SCARCE COVER FRANKED BY HARRY S. TRUMAN AS PRESIDENT ON WHITE HOUSE STATIONERY. Almost all of Truman's presidential free franks are on penalty envelopes, not "The White House" imprinted stationery. For collectors, this distinction is significant. Ex Kantor (Image)	E. 1,500-2,000	3,500.00

Presidents of the United States continued...

Lot

Sym.

Lot Description

Est/Cat

Realized

4119

Rutherford B. Hayes. Signed "R B Hayes" as President in pencil on Executive Mansion cover to Hon. Martin Townsend at local address, trivial edgewear, Very Fine, delivered by hand outside the mails (Image)

E. 200-300

625.00

4120

James A. Garfield. Free frank "J A Garfield MC" as member of Congress on cover to Bangor Me., bold "Washington D.C. Free Feb. 4" circular datestamp, missing top flap, Very Fine (Image)

E. 200-300

300.00

4121

William McKinley. Unauthorized franking signature "William McKinley" as President on Executive Mansion imprint cover addressed in his hand to the "U.S. Diplomatic and Consular Offices", missing top flap and tiny edge tears

VERY FINE. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF ASSASSINATED PRESIDENT WILLIAM McKINLEY'S AUTOGRAPH FRANK.

William McKinley did not have free-franking privileges as President, therefore, envelopes bearing his signature are extremely rare. This cover was carried outside the mails. No other example has been located in major collections such as Hart, Hessel, Joyce, Stern or Grunin.

Ex Kantor. (Image)

E. 4,000-5,000

9,500.00

4122

Theodore Roosevelt. Free frank "Theodore Roosevelt" as ex-President on cover to James R. Garfield in Cleveland O., neat "Oyster Bay N.Y. Dec. 12, 1916" machine cancel

VERY FINE. ONLY A FEW COVERS EXIST WITH THEODORE ROOSEVELT'S FREE FRANK AS EX-PRESIDENT.

Although Roosevelt was not authorized to frank mail as ex-President, evidently he and the Oyster Bay post office were under the impression he did. Only a few covers are known, all from Roosevelt's retirement home in Oyster Bay, Long Island.

Ex Kantor. (Image)

E. 3,000-4,000

4,250.00

4123

William Howard Taft. Signed "Wm. H. Taft C.J." as ex-President and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court on legal-size Supreme Court Official Business imprint cover to Detroit Mich., slightly reduced at right, Very Fine, an extremely rare cover bearing Taft's signature as Chief Justice -- Taft did not have franking privileges as ex-President or Chief Justice (Image)

E. 1,500-2,000

2,400.00

4124

Woodrow Wilson. Free frank "Woodrow Wilson" as President on White House imprint cover to his Secretary of War, Newton D. Baker, Washington D.C. Nov. 19, 1918 machine cancel

VERY FINE. THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF WOODROW WILSON'S FREE FRANK.

Woodrow Wilson's free frank is exceedingly rare. No other example could be found in the collections formed by Hart, Hessel, Stern Joyce or Grunin.

Ex Kantor. (Image)

E. 10,000-15,000

17,500.00

4125

Calvin Coolidge. Free frank "Calvin Coolidge" as President on White House imprint cover to Philip Ward in Philadelphia, "Washington D.C. Nov. 15" duplex cancel, Very Fine and extremely rare (Image)

E. 750-1,000

3,000.00

4126

Herbert Hoover. Free frank "Herbert Hoover" as President on White House imprint cover to Philip Ward in Pa., neat "Washington D.C. Jan. 21 2PM 1930" duplex, typewritten "Free"

VERY FINE. ONE OF THREE RECORDED COVERS FRANKED BY HERBERT HOOVER AS PRESIDENT.

Other examples of Hoover's presidential frank will be found in the Stern and Hessel collections. Ex Kantor. (Image)

E. 4,000-5,000

5,750.00

4127

Franklin Roosevelt. Free frank "Franklin Roosevelt" as President on light green White House imprint cover to New York, "Washington D.C. Sep. 15, 1940" datestamp

VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE FREE FRANK OF FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT AS PRESIDENT ON A POSTMARKED "WHITE HOUSE" COVER.

President Roosevelt did not have the legal right to frank mail, but a few examples on regular White House envelopes were successfully passed through the mails during his administration. According to a story told by one of Roosevelt's admirers, Republican party officials wanted to acquire an example to show that Roosevelt had no respect for the laws of the country.

Accompanied by an authentication letter from Charles Hamilton. (Image)

E. 1,500-2,000

2,800.00

4128

Franklin Roosevelt. Signature at top left of 1928 Houston Convention illustrated cover to Washington D.C. also signed by Alfred Smith, postage paid by 10c Lindbergh Air Post stamp tied by "Houston Texas June 26, 1928" cancel, several purple handstamps of kicking donkey with "He's in Houston" slogan, receiving backstamps, Very Fine, scarce signed cover postmarked on the first day of the convention (Image)

E. 400-500

1,100.00

4129

Harry Truman. Free frank "Harry Truman" as President on light green White House imprint cover to Senator Johnson in Washington D.C., well-struck "Washington D.C. Sep. 23, 1948" datestamp

VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY SCARCE COVER FRANKED BY HARRY S. TRUMAN AS PRESIDENT ON WHITE HOUSE STATIONERY.

Almost all of Truman's presidential free franks are on penalty envelopes, not "The White House" imprinted stationery. For collectors, this distinction is significant.

Ex Kantor (Image)

E. 1,500-2,000

3,500.00