Antiques Roadshow

GUEST: These are the military commission documents for our great-great grandfather's first cousin, David Perry, who was, uh, in the Union army in the Civil War.

APPRAISER: Here's David Perry's appointment as second lieutenant from 1862.

Here it is signed by Abraham Lincoln.

And then he is promoted to first lieutenant the next year.

This is Abraham Lincoln.

This is Abraham Lincoln.

And now Andrew Johnson is president.

He made...

He's made captain.

And this is his actual signature.

But he had an issue with his right hand and it was very uncomfortable for him to sign.

So fairly early on in his administration, he transitioned to using a stamp.

To have one that is actually signed by him is a good thing.

And then in '69, he's promoted to... lieutenant colonel.

And this one's signed by Ulysses S. Grant.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: And then he is promoted to colonel, also signed by Grant.

And he continues on further and further.

Here he is major.

This is signed by Rutherford B. Hayes, Lieutenant colonel by Benjamin Harrison.

Colonel by Grover Cleveland, and this is 1896.

I've never seen these kind of bound together in a book.

Usually you see one at a time.

GUEST: Yeah.

APPRAISER: And all of the officer commissions were signed by the president.

You've got two Lincolns.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: Those are about $4,000 to $6,000 apiece.

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: You've got one Andrew Johnson-- actually signed, not stamped.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: That's $1,000 to $1,500.

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: You've got two Ulysses S. Grants.

That's about $1,500 to $2,000.

Are you keep... are you doing the math?

GUEST: No.

Keep going.

(all laugh) APPRAISER: Tucker!

Keep going.

After Grant we had Hayes, Harrison, and Cleveland, who all of whom...

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: ...are less collectible than the other ones.

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: So probably another thousand dollars for them.

GUEST: Okay.

GUEST: Yeah, they've just been, um, mostly sitting stored.

Uh, but it is wonderful that they are, like you say, preserved.