Constitution of the United States Complete Set... Lot 172

Constitution of the United States Complete Set of Signers (40) with Founding Fathers George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison Complete collection of the signers of the American Constitution, a seminal document in American politics and law that continues to serve as a touchstone for debates and discussions on issues of governance, rights, and the role of bureaucracy in society. The lifeblood of the American government, the Constitution has played a pivotal role in shaping the United States into the nation it is today, outlining the balance of power, forming the basis for all subsequent laws therein, and serving as a model for democratic governance worldwide. This remarkable collection includes manuscript material from all 40 men who penned their names to the historic document, which includes all 39 state delegates and the one witness to the final draft. The formats offered consist of 14 ALSs, one LS, three ADSs, 15 DSs, one clipped signature, three pieces of signed paper currency, one free-franked address leaf from Abraham Baldwin (considered one of the rarest signatures in this set), and a stunning three language ship's passport signed by President George Washington. This set also contains an additional ALS by the Secretary to the Constitutional Convention, William Jackson, who signed the document as a witness to the final edits of the Constitution, culminating in a total of 40 manuscript items in this first-class collection. The items and signers are as follows: George Washington Partly-printed DS as president, “Go: Washington,” one page, 13 x 15.75, July 26, 1795. A three-language ship's passport printed in French, English, and Dutch, which authorizes the passage of "Peter Cockran master or commander of the schooner called the Industry of the burthen of Ninety five & 48/95 tons or thereabouts, lying at present in the port of Washington bound for Falmouth and laden with Tar, Pitch, and Beeswax.” Signed at the conclusion by George Washington and countersigned by Edmund Randolph as Secretary of State, Nathan Keais as Collector for the Port of Washington, North Carolina, and John Gray Blount as Notary. The left side retains the original embossed paper seal. Originally a sea captain by trade, Nathan Keais (1740-1795) was appointed a captain in the Second North Carolina Regiment in the Revolutionary War. Keais and John Gray Blount (1752-1833) were two of the original commissioners who established the town of Washington after they petitioned the state assembly to transfer the seat of county government from Bath to Washington in 1784. President Washington appointed him the Collector of the Port of Washington on March 21, 1791, a post he held until his death in 1795. Blount was a politician, merchant, and landowner from North Carolina who served on the House of Commons, the State Senate, and the Council of State. He was a justice of the peace, as evidenced here, and served as the postmaster at Washington from 1791 to 1815. Benjamin Franklin - Representative of Philadelphia Ink signature, “Your Excellency's most obedient & humble sert., B. Franklin,” on an off-white 5 x 3 sheet clipped from a larger document. Alexander Hamilton - New York LS as the first Secretary of the Treasury, signed "Alexander Hamilton,” one page, 7.5 x 9, May 2, 1792. Addressed from the Treasury Department, a manuscript letter to the President and Directors of the New York brand of the Bank of the United States, regarding pending payments. James Madison - Virginia Partly-printed DS as president, signed “James Madison,” one page, 15.75 x 9.75, November 15, 1813. President Madison appoints William Eaton as a “Collector - under the act, entitled 'An act for the assessment and collection of direct taxes and internal duties'... for the sixteenth - collection district in the state of Massachusetts.” Signed at the conclusion by Madison. The lower left retains the original paper seal. Abraham Baldwin - Georgia Free franked address leaf signed “Abr. Baldwin,” one page, 9.25 x 7.75, docketed February 23, 1806. An address leaf hand-addressed by Baldwin to “His Excellency, Governor Milledge, Louisville, Georgia,” franked in the upper right, “Free, Abr. Baldwin.” This leaf was free-franked by Baldwin as a U.S. Senator, a position he held from 1799 to 1807. Baldwin's autograph, in any form, is considered one of the rarest of the signers of the Constitution. Richard Bassett - Delaware ADS signed twice as “Richd. Bas.” and “Richard Bassett,” one page, both sides, 8.25 x 13, August 1772. Lengthy handwritten legal document concerning a defendant involved in a civil non-payment case, signed in the text and at the end of the document, with an additional autographed note initialed "RB" on the lower half of the second page. Gunning Bedford, Jr. - Delaware ADS signed twice as “Gunning Bedford” and “G. Bedford jun.,” one page, 5.5 x 2.25, no date. Sh