A remarkable collection of previously unknown letters written by Alexander Hamilton is up for sale.
The historical documents, held for generations in a private family collection, are so rare they’ve never been offered for sale publicly, according to the Raab Collection, which is hosting the sale.
If you want to get your hands on a piece of history, the 10 items are being sold individually. Prices range from $14,000 to $30,000 each.
“This is a remarkable find, an unprecedented archive of our nation’s first Secretary of the Treasury, documenting the founding of our nation’s financial history,” said Nathan Raab, principal at The Raab Collection.
Hamilton was appointed treasury secretary in 1789 by President George Washington. In that post, he structured the nation’s economy and established the Bank of the United States, which set up a central currency.
Prospective buyers abound, Raab said, and his staff is working overtime to respond to inquiries.
Another treasure trove of Hamilton documents fetched $2.6 million earlier this year at auction. That batch included manuscripts, personal letters and hundreds of documents from his desk.
The wildly popular Broadway show “Hamilton” was credited with boosting sales at that auction. Fans of the musical, historians, political-science enthusiasts and collectors were eager to get their hands on those documents, which were made available by Hamilton’s descendants.
“There’s no denying the Broadway show has exponentially increased interest in this period of American history and particularly in Alexander Hamilton,” said Selby Kiffer, the international senior specialist for books and manuscripts at Sotheby’s, which hosted the sale.