the War's noble and patriotic purpose.



Pen has been identified as part of a set inherited by Mary Edwards Brown, Mary Todd Lincoln's grandniece who famously served as Custodian of the Lincoln Homestead in Springfield, Illinois. The pen is listed as one of the items in a 2 May 1925 notarized affidavit signed by Brown as number ''15. Penholder set, property of Abraham Lincoln'', a copy of which accompanies the pen. This affidavit was created by Brown to accompany the sale of the pen to Richard Hagen of Friends of the Lincoln Shrines, whose 1958 notarized affidavit copy also accompanies the pen, created when it was sold to noted Lincoln dealer King Hostick; affidavit reads in part: ''the antique pen holder set...is the one and same pen holder setdescribed in a notarized affidavit dated 2nd May, 1925, and signed by Mary Edwards Brown. I further certify that this pen holder, containing 2 pens, a letter opener, and a scraper, was purchased by me as agent of Friends of the Lincoln Shrines, from Mary Edwards Brown''. Finally the pen is accompanied by the original handwritten note by Mary Edwards Brown reading, ''Desk set of pen holders pencil scraper etc. given to Abraham Lincoln while President of U.S.'' This note has been authenticated by University Archives as written by Brown and matching the writing on her 1925 affidavit; the 1925 affidavit was provided by Daniel Stowell, former director of the Papers of Abraham Lincoln Project. University Archives COA also accompanies the lot validating the authenticity of the pen