LOT #47167 |
Sold on Feb 22, 2023 for: Sign-in
or Join (free & quick)
John Adams Patent Signed as President. ...
Click the image to load the highest resolution version.
Sold on Feb 22, 2023 for:
$8,750.00
Bid Source: HA.com/Live bidder
Get one of these:
Explore Available Items
Description
John Adams Patent Signed as President. Two pages, one partially printed, on two leaves of vellum, 11.75" x 15", "City of Philadelphia"; December 14, 1799. Patent [264X] for Abijah Wilder of New Hampshire, who "hath alledged that he has invented a new and useful improvement in making runners and bows for Sleighs and Sleds which improvement has not been known or used before his application..." Signed in full as president, "John Adams." Countersigned by Secretary of State Timothy Pickering and Attorney General Charles Lee. With intact embossed paper and wax seal and light pink binding ribbon. The second page contains a lengthy explanation of the technical workings of the invention signed by Abijah Wilder. Docketed on verso.Abijah Wilder (1750-1831), born in Lancaster, Massachusetts, moved to Keene, New Hampshire in the early 1770s. While it is unknown whether he served in the American Revolution, he did sign a loyalty oath to the patriot cause, commonly called the "Association Test," in 1776. He worked as a joiner and a cabinet and sleigh-maker, and served as a deacon of the First Congregational Church in Keene for over forty years. He frequently appears throughout A History of the Town of Keene, and his patent is explicitly mentioned at one point in the chapter covering the year of 1779, reading "Dea. Abijah Wilder, the cabinet maker, lived on the old Walpole road, and was at this time making 'screw cheese presses.' He was something of an inventor, and had recently obtained a patent for bending sleigh runners by steaming the wood, considered a wonderful invention at that time." This patent is found in the U. S. patent records and is assigned the number 264X. According to the Directory of American Tool and Machinery Patents: "Most of the patents prior to 1836 were lost in the Dec. 1836 fire. Only about 2,000 of the almost 10,000 documents were recovered. Little is known about this patent. Only the patent drawing is available. This patent is in the database for reference only."
In the early morning hours of December 15, 1836, a box of ashes tucked away in the basement of the Blodgett's Hotel ignited and, thanks to a faulty sixteen-year-old fire hose, spread until the entire building was engulfed in flames. By the following day, the building was destroyed along with the nearly 10,000 patents and 7,000 models it contained. The building served as the temporary home of the U.S. Patent Office while, somewhat ironically, a new fireproof building was constructed elsewhere. All records from 1790 to 1836 were lost in the blaze. Later only approximately 2,800 patents were recreated after patentees were asked to return their originals to aid in the creation of a new record. These inventors' copies were renumbered with the letter X and are referred to as the X-patents or "Name and Date" patents.
Reference: Directory of American Tool and Machinery Patents; Griffin, S. A History of the Town of Keene: From 1732, when the Township was Granted by Massachusetts, to 1874, when it Became a City, 1904, page 309.
Condition: Insect damage resulting in 1.5" paper loss to second leaf of vellum, affecting just two words of text. Fold crosses Adams' signature. Scattered soiling and toning.
Auction Info
2023 February 22 Historical Manuscripts Signature® Auction #6260 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
February, 2023
22nd
Wednesday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 6
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 692
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
25% on the first $300,000 (minimum $49), plus 20% of any amount between $300,000 and $3,000,000, plus 15% of any amount over $3,000,000 per lot.
Shipping, Taxes, Terms and Bidding
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms
Important information concerning Sales Tax and Resale Certificates. Learn More
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms