Lot 1340

A SMALL LOCK OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S HAIR

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A SMALL LOCK OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S HAIR

Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000

Starting Bid: $2,000

(0 Bids)

by Alexander Historical Auctions LLC
July 31, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Live Auction
106 East Main Street, Suite 103
Elkton, MD, US 21921

A SMALL LOCK OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S HAIR
A comparatively generous lock of hair from the head of President Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States. The 12 strands of dark brown hair, each about .75 in. long, are joined together with a very small piece of white thread and set against a period 1860's era printed portrait of the president which is in turn set into a 2 3/8 in. x 3 in. period tintype case with an ornate oval brass frame and further accented with a gilt waving American flag on the front cover. Sold with a wood presentation box. This lock, originally part of a larger lock of hair, was presented by Lincoln to EDWARD DUFFIELD NEILL (1823-1893). Assistant secretary to President Lincoln (1864-65), an ordained Presbyterian minister and dedicated historian. At the beginning of the Civil War, Rev. Neill served as chaplain to a Minnesota regiment and later as an army hospital chaplain in Philadelphia and starting in 1864 served as assistant secretary to Lincoln at the urging of John Hay. Neill stayed on as a secretary to Andrew Johnson and served as a diplomat in Dublin. He went on to found Macalester College in St. Paul and to serve as its president. The lock of hair was sold to bookseller Leland N. Lien who then sold it to a political memorabilia dealer, thence to our consignor. Sold with images of the original lock as the time it was held by Macalester College and with letters of provenance from the owners thereafter.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000