Dozens of memorabilia that once belonged to Benjamin Franklin are soon going up for auction, writes Earl Hopkins for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The Franklin memorabilia belongs to former Philadelphia Flyers president Jay T. Snider, who purchased them nearly a decade ago.
Among the items being put up for auction is a letter Franklin wrote in 1738 to 17th century surveyor John Ladd, who was responsible for helping William Penn map out the city of Philadelphia.
“It’s the earliest Franklin letter I’ve ever seen. There hasn’t been an earlier one in the market since I’ve been collecting,” said Snider.
Other pieces of his collection includes a first edition of Franklin’s Experiments and Observations on Electricity promissory notes for the Pennsylvania Hospital, and the mortgage register he made in 1729 during his first government printing job.
Snider’s collection’s can be summed in four words, in which he said Franklin was an “endlessly fascinating human being.”
After recently being put up display for an exhibition at Library Company of Philadelphia, many of the items will travel to Sotheby’s for an exhibition from June 20 to June 24 at Sotheby’s in New York before going up for auction.
The collection is projected to bring between $3 million and $4.5 millon.
Read more about the extensive Ben Franklin collection going up for auction in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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