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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: tony641 on August 27, 2010, 08:53:32 pm
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I recently came across this land deed. It is from WI Teritory (3 years before we became a state). S.H. Laughlin signed and recorded it in the General Land Office. I am not 100% on the first name of the person I think filled out the document but I believe it is Kroix Walker. There is a signature of James Polk above Walker's signature but I assume that Walker signed this also. On the lower left corner od the document is where there use to be a wax seal but for some reason it was scratched off. From the back side you can see part of the impression. There is an eagle in the middle of it. Can anyone tell me about this document and what it might be worth? If you have any questions please just ask. Thank you all in advance.
(http://i33.tinypic.com/35hmr00.jpg)
(http://i38.tinypic.com/339oqbm.jpg)
(http://i38.tinypic.com/25pkemq.jpg)
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That signature looks an awful lot like James K. Polk's signature, the president. But it's hard to read so I don't know. Are you able to scan it or take a closer picture? I'm not sure why he would be signing land stuff but hey, you never know. He was in politics during that time period. Hopefully someone else here has more experience with these than I do!
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And wait a sec, I see something about "Independence of the United States" and "President." Really need bigger pics! Is it really just a land deed or something more?
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Looks like a fun one to research , tony641 .
I bet everybody here would appreciate a nice clean image (readable) to help research .
County seats love these kinds of documents , as do collectors of autographs .
If you keep it or sell it , I'd suggest that you @ least keep it in an acid-free envelope , to keep it from disentegrating more than it is now .
If the autographs can be authenticated , perhaps some restoration work will help keep this one around for generations to come (acid neutralize & clean & press) .
Condition of paper documents does matter to many buyers that I know (collector types) .
Thanks for posting your cool item , tony641 .
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tony, not being 'up' on US history I'm kind of grasping at straws here. Don't know if this would apply to your document or not.
Clearer, full size pics or scans would make the search much easier ;)
........third article (picture) from the bottom of the page.
http://www.rarenewspapers.com/view/573371?list_url=%2Flist%3Fq%255Bquery%255D%3DWisconsin%26rc%3Dblog
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That's where I've purchased my entire newspaper collection from Sapphire! Great people there. :) They have probably memorized my address lol
Great job finding that article!
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Not related to Wisconsin, but fills in a couple of blanks. Lines 6 through 13........
http://ftp.resource.org/courts.gov/c/US/51/51.US.348.html
6 'In testimony whereof, I, James K. Polk, President of the United States, have caused these letters to be made patent, and the seal of the General Land Office to be hereunto affixed.
7 'Given under my hand, at the city of Washington, the 18th day of June, in the year of our Lord 1845, and of the independence of the United States the sixty-ninth.
8 'By the President,
9 JAMES K. POLK.
10 [L. S.]
11 By J. KNOX WALKER, Secretary.
12 'Recorded Vol. X., pages 36, 37, 38.
13 'S. H. LAUGHLIN, Recorder of the General Land Office.'
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Ummm... if that turns out to be an original signature, it could potentially be worth some serious bucks. Look at this:
http://www.historyforsale.com/html/display.aspx?start=23&page=13&sort=0&signer=&dpp=25&recadd=&spec=1&frmd=0&rng=0 (http://www.historyforsale.com/html/display.aspx?start=23&page=13&sort=0&signer=&dpp=25&recadd=&spec=1&frmd=0&rng=0)
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Don't know as a Land Grant would bring those figures......
Completed listings........
http://completed.shop.ebay.com/Collectibles-/1/i.html?LH_Complete=1&_nkw=land+grant
Current listings.......
http://collectibles.shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_npmv=3&_trksid=p3910.m570.l1313&_nkw=land+grant&_sacat=1
Polk.......(quite a discrepancy ::) )
http://cgi.ebay.com/Original-1846-President-James-K-Polk-Land-Grant-/270626873227?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f029e5f8b#ht_500wt_1149
http://cgi.ebay.com/1848-Land-Grant-James-K-Polk-Signature-/180545010600?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a09523ba8#ht_500wt_1149
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Man, it'd be so cool if it was his signature! I'd recommend buying that newspaper for $45 or however much it was. Would be a great compliment to that document. And if for some reason the document was a reproduction or not worth much, at least you're not out a ton of money on the paper.
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Darn, maybe it's not worth a fortune. But it might still be worth a good amount of money. ;)
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Anyone know how to make the pictures bigger? The post by Saphire is basicaly what is written on the document I have. I could not make out the name J. Knox Walker and it looked like the J was not ment to be written by the name Knox Walker. But now that I know that is his name the "Js" on his signature and the signature by James Polk are identical. I would guess that Knox signed both names. I'll still post bigger pics if anyone would be interested in seeing them (and I can figure out how). THANKS for all the quick replies.