Abraham Lincoln handwritten letter to exceed $12,000 on June 18?

Bidding on a handwritten letter by Abraham Lincoln - dated April 12, 1861 (the first day of the civil war) - stands at $12,402 at RR Auction.

The online sale is due to close on June 18.

Lincoln letter RR
Lincoln penned the letter on the first day of the civil war

The document is addressed to Attorney General Edward Bates (1793-1869) and reads in full: "On examination of papers, and full consideration, I have concluded to appoint Earl Bill, marshal for the Northern District of Ohio. Please send me the commission."

At the time, Union troops garrisoned in Fort Sumter in Charlestown were under siege. Lincoln's order to resupply his forces was viewed as an act of aggression by Confederate forces, who began bombardment on April 12.

News of the attack would take two days to reach the White House.

A field pass signed by Lincoln and Ulysses S Grant in the closing days of the war will auction at Heritage Auctions in Dallas on June 7.

We have these fragments of wallpaper from Lincoln's bedroom in Springfield for sale.

Also on offer is a death mask of Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924) which features an opening bid of $5,000.

The cast was taken by sculptor Sergei Merkurov shortly after Lenin's death at his home in Gorki in January 1924, and is one of only a handful available on the private market.

Check out all our memorabilia here.

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