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Thomas Jefferson was an American founding father. He was the primary writer of the Declaration of Independence and the third president from 1801 through 1809.
Still popular today, his original writings are valuable, rare and command high prices.
Most valuable is a document with his signature.
Often, the best you may find is a "cut signature" which means Jefferson's signature was cut from an original document for sale and then just the signature was sold.
While that is not something many would do today - the entire original document would be kept intact - it was a past practice and affects historical signatures.
Many old documents not only cut out the signature for sale, but cut out the words in the documents to be separately sold.
For example:
The word "the" - and just the word "the", written by Thomas Jefferson, was cut from a document and separately sold.
Amazingly, this one word sold for $302.50!
A copy of the original document the word was clipped from, and a certificate of authenticity was required, and from that the single handwritten word "the" sold for hundreds of dollars.
That is why complete documents signed by Thomas Jefferson can be hard to find. If you see one available move quickly.
This cut signature, with a certificate of authenticity, sold for $11,950.
A land grant in the new state of Ohio was signed by President Thomas Jefferson, and Secretary of State James Madison, and is dated November 3, 1803.
The original document, still with its embossed seal, sold for $10,000.
This document has obviously seen better days.
But since it was signed by President Thomas Jefferson it is still quite valuable. It sold for $1500.
This appointment of a cavalry lieutenant reads in part:
Thomas Jefferson, Presid[ent of the United] States of America. To all who shall see these presents—Gree[ting] Know Ye, That reposing special trust and confidence in the p[atrio]tism, valor, fidelity and abilities of Jacob Grimes [I do] by these presents appoint him the sa[id Jacob Grimes Se]cond Lieutenant Cavalry in the 2d Legion of the Mili[tia for the] District of Columbia....
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