Theodore Roosevelt-signed field orders document, $31,250, University Archives

A document signed by Theodore Roosevelt on August 1, 1898, assuming command of the Second Brigade, Cavalry, Fifth Corps in Cuba, sold for $31,250 at a University Archives sale in Wilton, CT, on July 28, well above its $8,000-$10,000 estimate. The order captured a pivotal moment in Roosevelt’s military career during the Spanish-American War. Its direct connection to Roosevelt’s command and clear presidential-historical significance drove spirited bidding. Also, an Abraham Lincoln-signed
presidential appointment dated March 6, 1863, realized $16,250 in the same sale.