Americana
Rare Americana Books, Manuscripts & More for Sale Online
If you’re looking for first edition books celebrating the American experience, you’ve come to the right place. At Raptis Rare Books we maintain an extensive collection of rare Americana, books, manuscripts and more. Browse through our entire collection online, use our sorting tools or search to find exactly what you’re looking for then call with any questions you may have or order online today.
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Peter Force's 1833 printing of the Declaration of Independence, from Walter J. Stone's 1823 plate
The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America. [The Force Declaration of Independence].
Washington, D.C.: Engraved by William J. Stone for Peter Force, [1883].
Rare engraved copy of Peter Force's 1833 printing of the Declaration of Independence, from William J. Stone's 1823 plate. One page, folio broadside. In 1823, with the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence approaching, Congress commissioned Stone to produce a high-quality, actual-size replica of the original engrossed Declaration. The signatures of the 56 delegates were to be carefully copied. Stone spent two years perfecting the plate and after he had printed the 200 copies ordered, his original engraved plate remained with the Department of State. A decade later, Peter Force (1790-1868), historian, publisher and mayor of Washington D.C., conceived…
Price: $25,000.00 Item Number: 143242
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Rare Civil War Era Naval Commission Signed by Abraham Lincoln as President
LINCOLN, Abraham; Gideon Welles.
Abraham Lincoln Signed Naval Commission.
April 21, 1864.
American naval commission signed by Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States and Gideon Welles as Secretary of the Navy. Folio, partially engraved on vellum the document is dated April 21, 1864 and promotes Charles W. Tracy to the rank of Lieutenant. In near fine condition. Matted and framed with a portrait of Lincoln and engraved plate. The Commission measures 19 inches by 16 inches. The entire piece measures 34 inches by 29.5 inches.
Price: $17,000.00 Item Number: 132067
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1806 United States Land Grant signed by President Thomas Jefferson and Secretary of State James Madison
JEFFERSON, Thomas and James Madison.
Thomas Jefferson and James Madison Signed Land Grant.
City of Washington: April 5, 1806.
American land grant signed by Thomas Jefferson as the third President of the United States and countersigned by James Madison as Secretary of State. Folio, one page partially printed on parchment and accomplished in manuscript, the grant is dated April 5, 1806 and awards Caleb Johnson of Washington County, Pennsylvania a parcel of land. The document reads in part: Know Ye, that "Caleb Johnson of Washington County, Pennsylvania" having deposited in the Treasury a certificate of the Register of the Land office at "Steubenville" whereby it appears that "he has made full payment for the Northeast Quarter of Lot or…
Price: $12,500.00 Item Number: 143218
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Rare forty-five star American Flag; commemorating the statehood of OKLAHOMA
Forty-Five Star American Flag.
[c. 1896].
Rare forty-five star American Flag. The forty-five star American Flag was in use between July 4, 1896 when the state of Utah was admitted into the Union and July 3, 1908 when Oklahoma was admitted as the 46th state. In near fine condition. The flag measures 58 inches by 114 inches.
Price: $2,800.00 Item Number: 133095
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RARE AMERICAN MILITARY COMMISSION BOLDLY SIGNED BY FOUNDING FATHER JOHN HANCOCK
HANCOCK, John.
John Hancock Military Commision Signed as Governor of Massachusetts.
October 8, 1787.
Military commission signed by John Hancock in 1787 as Governor of Massachusetts. One page, partially printed, bound in boards with gilt titles to the front panel. The document appoints Peter Ayer to the rank of "Ensign of the Seventh company in the fourth Regiment and in the Brigades of the Second Division of the Militia of this Commonwealth, comprehending the County of Essex." Dated October 8th 1787 and signed by John Hancock at left beneath the Massachusetts seal. Countersigned by John Avery Jr. as Secretary of the Commonwealth and on the verso by Col. John Brickett of Haverhill. Bound with…
Price: $7,500.00 Item Number: 143823
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"Where liberty dwells there is my country": Rare copperplate-printed toile fragment from the popular eighteenth-century English pattern "The Apotheosis of Franklin and Washington"
[WASHINGTON; GEORGE; BENJAMIN FRANKLIN],.
The Apotheosis of Franklin and Washington Printed Textile.
c. 1785-1790.
Rare copperplate-printed toile fragment from the popular eighteenth-century English pattern "The Apotheosis of Franklin and Washington." The fragment features a copper-plate printed portrait of Benjamin Franklin in academic robes and his famous cap after the famed 1777 portrait of him by Jean-Baptiste holding the ends of a banner reading "Where liberty dwells there is my country." The fragment has been framed within a patterned textile border. In near fine condition. The piece measures 13.75 inches by 11.25 inches. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box.
Price: $2,200.00 Item Number: 139191
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Rare 1791 American Military Commission signed by President George Washington
WASHINGTON, George.
George Washington Signed Military Commission.
March 4, 1791.
United States military commission signed by George Washington as the first president of the United States of America on March 4th 1791. One page, partially printed, the commission appoints Jonathan Cass "a Captain in the Second Regiment in the Service of the United States." Signed by George Washington, "Go Washington" as the first President of the United States and countersigned by Henry Knox as the first Secretary of War. The appointee, Revolutionary War soldier Jonathan Cass responded to the April 1775 Lexington Alarm and served with George Washington at Bunker Hill. He was subsequently appointed as an officer in the…
Price: $28,000.00 Item Number: 143534
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Rare Letter signed by George Washington regarding his various land holdings in Virginia
WASHINGTON, George.
George Washington Letter Signed.
Mount Vernon: July 28, 1785.
Rare letter signed by George Washington to his land agent in Virginia, Battaile Muse. Quarto, three pages on a single folded leaf, the letter is addressed to Mr. Battaile Muse. The body of the letter, in a secretarial hand, reads in full: "Mount Vernon, July 28, 1785 Sir: A few days ago by a Mr. Hickman, who either is, or wants to be a tenant of mine in Frederick County. I sent you a Dozen Blank leases. The Tract on which he says he is fixed, is part of two lots which I purchased at the sale of Colo. George…
Price: $40,000.00 Item Number: 139571
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"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind": Rare Original July 21st 1969 Delaware Evening Journal Front Page; Signed by legendary astronaut Neil Armstrong
ARMSTRONG, Neil.
Neil Armstrong Signed Delaware Evening Journal.
Wilmington: Delaware Evening Journal, July 21, 1969.
Rare original Delaware Evening Journal featuring the headline "Eagle Jets Safely Off Moon; In Orbit for Rendezvous", a front page article on the Apollo 11 moon landing, and large photograph of Neil Armstrong collecting dirt on the lunar surface. Boldly signed by Neil Armstrong on his photograph. Below the headline is Armstrong's famous quote, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Articles featured on the front page include, "Neil, Buzz Leave Prints on Moon", "Kennedy Charged in Crash", and "Luna 15 Lands On Moon, 500 Miles from LM." In very good condition. Double matted and framed.…
Price: $4,000.00 Item Number: 100158
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Rare Early American Map of Wall Street; detailing lots owned by early new York City mayor and chief justice Abraham de Peyster
LUDLAM, Stephen [Wall Street].
Early American Wall Street Survey Map.
April 8, 1817.
Rare 1817 hand-colored copy of an original map of early 18th century Wall Street attached to a Deed of Partition between Col. Abraham de Peyster and Samuel Bayard dated January 3rd 1718, copied on April 8th 1817 by Stephen Ludlam, City Surveyor. One page, the hand-colored map details the intersection of Wall Street, Broad Street, and Kip Street (now Nassau Street) and includes the Presbyterian Church, the original City Hall, and 23 partitioned lots each labeled as owned by Abraham DePeyster or Samuel Bayard. Born in 1657 in New Amsterdam, wealthy merchant and ship owner Abraham de Peyster received numerous…
Price: $9,800.00 Item Number: 139509
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Rare Autograph Document Signed by Andrew Jackson as President
JACKSON, Andrew.
Andrew Jackson Autograph Document Signed.
December 6, 1830.
Rare Presidential Land Grant signed by Andrew Jackson as President and countersigned by Commissioner of the General Land Office Elijah Hayward. One page partially printed on vellum the document is dated November 11, 1830 and officially grants Scott Riggs a 72-acre land parcel in Springfield, Illinois. Signed at the conclusion "Andrew Jackson" and "Elijah Hayward" with the white paper paper seal to the lower left corner. In very good condition. Matted and framed. The entire piece measures 19.5 by 13.5 inches.
Price: $2,800.00 Item Number: 104206
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Rare Reconstruction Era Carte-de-visite of Confederate Commander Robert E. Lee; Signed by Him
LEE, Robert E.
Robert E. Lee Signed Carte-de-Visite.
Lexington, Va: Boude & Miley, [1869].
Rare Reconstruction era carte-de-visite portrait of former Confederate commander General Robert E. Lee in civilian attire, boldly signed "RE Lee." The carte-de-visite measures 2.5 inches by 4 inches with Boude & Miley's imprint on the verso. This striking postwar portrait of Lee was captured by photographer Michael Miley of Lexington, Virginia in 1869, perhaps less than a year prior to Lee's death on October 12, 1870. Following the conclusion of the American Civil War in 1865, Lee became president of Washington College (later Washington and Lee University) in Lexington, Virginia; in that position, he supported reconciliation between North and South.The…
Price: $7,200.00 Item Number: 140513
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Rare 19th century example of Johnson's Map of Florida
WARD, Benjamin P. and Alvin Jewett Johnson.
Johnson’s Map of Florida.
New York: Johnson and Ward, c. 1866.
Rare 19th century example of Johnson's famed post-Civil War era map of the state of Florida. One page, the hand-colored lithographic map depicts the state in full with color coding according to county shortly following the close of the American Civil War with references to towns, railroads, villages, depots, swamps, the territories of Native American tribes, forts and battle sites related to the Seminole Wars, Lake Okeechobee, the Everglades, Indian Hunting Grounds between Fort Poinsett and Key Biscayne Bay, Tampa Bay and the Okefenokee Swamp. Additionally notes the course of a proposed canal route leading from Tampa to the Atlantic…
Price: $1,800.00 Item Number: 138512
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RARE 1885 PROPERTY DEED SIGNED BY FAMED ABOLITIONIST FREDERICK DOUGLASS AS RECORDER OF DEEDS FOR WASHINGTON, D.C.
DOUGLASS, Frederick.
Frederick Douglass Signed Property Deed.
Washington, D.C: March 23, 1885.
Rare real estate document signed by famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass as Recorder of Deeds for Washington, D.C. One page, partially printed, the property deed agreement is signed by Douglass, “Fredk. Douglass” as Recorder of Deeds, certifying a deed transferring a plot of land in Washington, DC, from Joseph C.G. Kennedy to Thomas D. Bond. Following the Civil War, Douglass received numerous political appointments from Republican presidents including positions as United States Marshal of Washington, D.C. (1877-81), and later ambassador to the Republic of Haiti (1889-91). He was nominated Recorder of Deeds for Washington, D.C. by President James Garfield and confirmed by the Senate on May 7,…
Price: $5,500.00 Item Number: 141500
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REVOLUTIONARY WAR-DATE LETTER FROM WASHINGTON TO ROCHAMBEAU ON A PROPOSED EXPEDITION TO PENOBSCOT
WASHINGTON, George.
George Washington Letter Signed.
April 10, 1781.
Highly important letter signed (“Go: Washington”), as Commander-in-Chief, 2 pages folio, “Head Quarters New Windsor April 10 [17]81”, to his French ally Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, the body of the letter in the hand of his trusted aide-de-camp, Alexander Hamilton; horizontal fold separation repaired, minor tears and chips along margins. In the spring of 1781, officials from Massachusetts approached Rochambeau with a proposal to attack the British post at the mouth of the Penobscot river— established in June 1779 to secure timber for shipyards in Halifax and to protect Nova Scotia from any American advance. On 6…
Price: $175,000.00 Item Number: 125872
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Rare original printing of The Gazette of the United States, issued on July 29, 1789
Gazette of the United States. No. XXXI. Wednesday, July 29, 1789.
New York: John Fenno, July 29, 1789.
Rare original printing of the Gazette of the United States, issued during the presidency of George Washington on July 29, 1789. Folio, one page, folded, this issue includes a the following articles, many continued from previous issues: Sketch of the Political State of America, Original Specimens of Eloquence, Foreign and Domestic Miscellaneous Articles, and Sketches of Proceedings of Congress approved by G. Washington, President of the United States. In near fine condition.
Price: $5,500.00 Item Number: 116728
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"Sail on O Ship of State! Sail on, o union, strong and great!" One of the two broadsides specially printed and carried by Churchill to the Atlantic Conference signed by both him and Franklin Delano Roosevelt
ROOSEVELT, Franklin Delano; Winston S. Churchill. [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow].
Sail On, O Ship of State! The Longfellow Verse in Mr. Roosevelt’s Message to Mr. Churchill.
Raphael Tuck & Sons, Ltd., [1941].
Rare lithographic broadside signed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt as the thirty-second President of the United States and Winston S. Churchill as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom at the Atlantic Conference; one of only two known examples of this broadside specially printed at Churchill's direction and signed by both world leaders at their first wartime conference. One page, the lithograph features the famed Henry Wadsworth Longfellow verse first used by FDR in a letter of support to Churchill before the United States entered the war and a galleon at sea. The letter, sent the day before Roosevelt's third inauguration on…
Price: $150,000.00 Item Number: 125419
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Rare collection of Rough Riders Photographs and Documents; Twice signed and inscribed by Theodore Roosevelt
ROOSEVELT, Theodore.
Theodore Roosevelt Rough Riders Era Document Collection.
c. 1898.
Rare collection of original signed documents and photographs taken during President Theodore Roosevelt's days as Colonel of the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, or Rough Riders. The collection includes an original mounted photograph of Roosevelt in full uniform with his campaign hat; two cabinet card photographs of Albert S. Johnson, a member of the Cavalry; an endorsement dated September 7, 1998 which reads in part, "This officer did not serve in Cuba but remained in Florida with the squadron left behind" signed, "T. Roosevelt" which is affixed to the verso of of Albert S. Johnson's 5 September 1898 application for 60-days leave;…
Price: $12,500.00 Item Number: 95371
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Rare example of Johnson's Civil War era Map of the state of Florida
JOHNSON, Alvin Jewett and Ross C. Browning.
Johnson’s Map of Florida.
New York: A.J. Johnson, c. 1861.
Rare 19th century example of Johnson's famed Civil War era map of the state of Florida. One page, the hand-colored lithographic map depicts the state in full with color coding according to county in the midst of the American Civil War with references to towns, railroads, villages, depots, swamps, the territories of Native American tribes, forts and battle sites related to the Seminole Wars, Lake Okeechobee, the Everglades, Indian Hunting Grounds between Fort Poinsett and Key Biscayne Bay, Tampa Bay and the Okefenokee Swamp. Additionally notes the course of a proposed canal route leading from Tampa to the Atlantic and…
Price: $1,750.00 Item Number: 138533