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John Hancock 1783 Autograph Letter Signed "J. H."

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Autographs Start Price:1.00 USD Estimated At:3,000.00 - 5,000.00 USD
John Hancock 1783 Autograph Letter Signed  J. H.
<B>John Hancock 1783 Autograph Letter Signed</B></I> "J. H." as governor of Massachusetts. One page, 1783 October 16, Council Chamber, 7.75" x 9.25". Addressed to "Gentlemen of the Senate & Gentlemen of the House of Representatives" Hancock writes, in part: "I have directed the Secretary to lay before you Two Letters I have just Rec'd from the President of Congress... I should be happy at all times to unite with you in all measures that have a tendency to advance the public Prosperity. John Hancock is a name familiar to us all. A Harvard graduate, Hancock was a prosperous Boston businessman who favored American independence from Great Britain. He became a Massachusetts representative to the Continental Congress, and was elected president of the Continental Congress in 1775. As such, Hancock was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence in July of 1776. He wrote his name at the center of the page in extra-large script. Referring to a bounty the British had put on the heads of revolutionaries, he remarked, "The British ministry can read that name without spectacles; let them double their reward." Thus "John Hancock" has become a slang term for signature or autograph. Hancock was later elected the first governor of the commonwealth of Massachusetts, serving in that position from 1780-85 and from 1787 until his death in 1793. Toning, left edge rough, weak at folds. A very desirable letter from this national icon. <I>Accompanied by COA from PSA/DNA.</B></I>