At M.S. Rau antiques, history is for sale every day, but in honor of Presidents’ Day our Travel Girl, Stephanie Oswald, went in search of some presidential prizes. Here’s what she found:
You can own a piece of the first president, quite literally, if you have $24,500! That’s the price tag on a framed lock of George Washington’s hair, alongside a clipping from a red vest that he once wore.
“It’s rather uncommon for us to get a really spectacular piece, but when it comes in and it’s presidential, they fly out,” says M.S. Rau Global Sales Consultant, Jim Gillis.
He recalls a few years ago when the presidential flag owned by Franklin Delano Roosevelt was brought in and only lasted 30 minutes in the gallery before it was sold.
This family-run gallery has been open more than 100 years.
This family-run gallery has been open more than 100 years.
President Washington’s wine glass is also for sale, along with a dinner plate, and some china that was chosen by Martha Washington. You can also purchase a hair comb worn by the first first lady.
If you’re a fan of President Lincoln, there’s a stunning painting done by David Bowser, an African American who painted it in 1865, in honor of all that Lincoln did in support of ending slavery. That painting will run you $178,500.
For just $54,500 you can own a presidential pocket watch, manufactured by Waltham.
“They were originated by Abraham Lincoln. These were gifts to give to foreigners who saved American lives,” explains Gillis. The one that’s currently for sale at M.S. Rau was given to a tugboat captain whose ship sank, but no lives were lost.
The moral of this story? You might not be president of the United Sates, and you may never even meet a president. But for the right price, you can own a piece of presidential history.
