Pieces of the Scaffold?

[BettyO]

Found this on eBay last night -

Wonder What the provenance is? Is it original? Although I'd LOVE to have this -- one wonders about things..... wood is wood.....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VERY-RARE-Lincol...3612521%26

[KateH.]

A few months ago, I was looking to purchase a similar piece. It was a fragment of wood that supposedly came from a larger block. At one time, a note was attached to it. However, the note itself was not included. There was only a scan of the note which, if my memory serves me, looked very similar to the note in the listing. Doing some research with a friend, we tracked down the exact same piece on a few different websites. One site even spelled the names of the conspirators wrong, although the piece spelled them correctly. How "Herold" became "Herland" I will never know. The story about the block could have been true, but the fact that the exact same piece was showing up on multiple sites led me to think that it might have been a reproduced item and not an authentic one.

Now, these pieces might be different since they seem to be loose and not in any sort of frame. I guess my advice would be to research the piece and who is selling it. Also, be careful when it comes to pieces that are hard to identify. At the end of the day though, go with what you feel is right since you would know more on the subject than me. I'm just helping out

[NJREB1863]

You can find offerings of fragments of the scaffold on various CW dealer websites, all seemingly from the same source. All are usually priced, if not at auction, in the several hundred dollar range. Most come framed or just matted with a repro photograph of the execution. These wood fragments are TINY SLIVERS. Although the original note, never available with the fragments, is more than likely authentic, it is certainly possible to sell tiny slivers of wood as originating from the original larger fragment. As tempting as these offerings are, I personally abstain as there are so many spurious items out there as with any highly sought after artifacts.

There is another EBay dealer who seems to have obtained items from the Lattimer auction, Mary Lincoln dress fragments and Peterson House wallpaper fragments. He/she then cuts those fragments into minute pieces and actions them. Another dealer cuts handwritten documents from historical figures into pieces and sells either individual words and sometimes a single letter. I don't know how everyone here feels about these practices, but it really irritates me to see people basically destroying historical artifacts for financial gain.

[BettyO]

Both of you are correct - which is why I'm questioning these items for auction.

It could be any wood! I did a bit of research myself and found that these "slivers" are indeed on many collector/CW websites -- some with a scanned "note" others without; some framed; some without, and they are indeed in the $700 - $400 dollar range.

I'm too skeptical about these without definite provenance. The wood (and brick) which I got from McNair is the real deal according to the site historian as well as the architects involved.....

[historybuff22]

I too have seen many questionable Lincoln-related relics being offered on eBay; "Strand" of Lincoln's hair - actually a cutting about 1/16 inch long. Without the roots, DNA can never prove its authenticity. As to the cloth from Mary Lincoln's dress - just cut up ANY black fabric. Again, can't be proved. Lincoln death room wallpaper - the swatch is very small. Prove it? I've also seen "bricks from the Lincoln home." When the restoration to the home was completed in 1988, the bricks were literally sold by the hundred-pound at less than $1 per-pound. They were then cut into pieces about 1/4 x 1/2 inch and sold that way. Always keep in mind that most certificates of authenticity are easier to forge than the "original" item - all you need is an inkjet printer.

Rick Brown
HistoryBuff.com
A Nonprofit Organization

[LincolnMan]

Found this on eBay last night -

Wonder What the provenance is? Is it original? Although I'd LOVE to have this -- one wonders about things..... wood is wood.....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VERY-RARE-Lincol...3612521%26

"Wood is wood" -a subtle reference by you to Rev. Wood?

[Hess1865]

I heard that when people would write Herndon if he had any Lincoln signatures lying around, Billy would grab a pair of scissors, cut Abe's autograph off a letter or document and send it out!
If this is true, I'd like to know what documents Herndon was using.
What a terrible historical loss it would be if he just tossed them after just cutting off Lincoln's signature.....

[Craig Hipkins]

I am dubious about any claim that offers "a piece of something." There are people that claim to have in their possession a piece of the "true cross" of Jesus Christ which I feel is ridiculous. Betty is right "wood is wood."

Craig

[LincolnMan]

So the wart I got from Ebay really didn't come from Elvis Presley's face?

[Gene C]

And the empty pill bottle probably is not from the floor of Elvis's bathroom.

[historybuff22]

The most absurd item I've ever seen offered in an auction was about 1973. The lot listing claimed the item was "Napolean Bonaparte's foreskin" - and it sold for $750!

In the same auction was an item more up the line for Lincoln assassination collector's. Offered was a booklet a 6 weeks of tickets to the Conspiracy Trial. Each ticket was issued to a specific person. This booklet gets better - It was assigned to George Armstrong Custer - and even better, each ticket was hand signed by Custer himself!!! The tickets were unused!!! Imagine having 30 autographs of Custer AND on Lincoln Conspiracy Trial tickets!!!! It too, sold for $750! I was only making $3 per hour then, so I couldn't afford it :-(

Rick Brown
HistoryBuff.com
A Nonprofit Organization

[Craig Hipkins]

I wonder what a genuine Custer autograph goes for these days? I can remember seeing a signature of King George III at an antique store in Atlanta about 20 years ago. The price was a whopping $5000. a little above my budget!

Craig

[BettyO]

The most absurd item I've ever seen offered in an auction was about 1973. The lot listing claimed the item was "Napolean Bonaparte's foreskin" - and it sold for $750!

Gross as it sounds, Dr. Lattimer owned something like this and it may have been this very "item".......!

[L Verge]

Someone sent me an e-mail on Friday that jars of Mr. Lincoln's "gas" are being sold on eBay. The seller also claims to have jars dedicated to George Washington, Andrew Jackson, and others. Why do I think the worldwide web is creating even more crazies than what would normally exist?

[RJNorton]

Why do I think the worldwide web is creating even more crazies than what would normally exist?

Years ago I saw this on e-Bay. It was being touted as a photo of Ned Spangler and Lewis Powell.