Lot 211

Previous image preload Next image preload

Description:

John F. Kennedy: White House Pen Used to Sign the Declaration Endowing Churchill Honorary US Citizenship

Fountain Pen used by President Kennedy while in the Oval Office to sign the Act proclaiming Sir Winston S. Churchill an honorary citizen of the United States of America. An Easterbrook fountain pen, 6.25", with black grip and tampered clear plastic stem, stamped "The President - The White House". Fine condition. Ex. The Robert White Collection. Accompanied by a typed letter of authenticity and a hand written letter from Evelyn Lincoln to Robert White, which was dated March 14, 1990. in which she described the fountain pen as follows:

"This pen, which you now have in your possession, was used by President John F. Kennedy when he signed the Proclamation Conferring Honorary Citizenship on Sir Winston Churchill in the Oval Office at 3:00 p.m. on April 9, 1963".

An Identical pen with no provenance whatsoever sold at Christies in 2010 for $6250!

In 1963 Senator Stephen Young, and Senator Jennings Randolph introduced a joint resolution in Congress to make Winston Churchill an honorary citizen of the United States. President Kennedy had always maintained that whether it be an honorary citizenship or not, he felt that some expression of esteem would be appropriate to remind Sir Winston Churchill of our regard for him. Congress passed the resolution and sent the Proclamation Conferring Honorary Citizenship on Sir Winston Churchill to President Kennedy on April 9, 1963. The signing ceremony was initiated with Kennedy's opening remarks:

"We gather today at a moment unique in the history of the United States.

This is the first time that the United States Congress has solemnly resolved that the President of the United States shall proclaim an honorary citizenship for the citizen of another country and in joining me to perform this happy duty the Congress gives Sir Winston Churchill a distinction shared only with the Marquis de Lafayette …"

The ceremony was carried on television in the United States and telecast to Europe by way of the Relay communications satellite, and was seen by Sir Winston Churchill and Lady Churchill in their London home.

This important pen will be accompanied by two black and white prints of President Kennedy during the signing, and may be used to create a spectacular display with the pen.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

We do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice, unless you inform us otherwise, immediately upon your receipt of invoice***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.


After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item.


Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

January 6, 2021 10:30 AM EST
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000