Two rare Lincoln-signed copies of the Thirteenth Amendment and Emancipation Proclamation set new records for the documents at auction at Sotheby's New York.
Both documents were acquired by Kenneth Griffin, Founder and CEO of Citadel, who intends to loan the documents to a U.S. institution. The results drove the sale to achieve the highest ever total for a various-owner books auction in Sotheby's history.
A congressional copy of the Thirteenth Amendment achieved an above-estimate $13.7 million, more than five times the previous auction record for a Thirteenth Amendment.
Bidders on the phone and in the room competed for the Emancipation Proclamation, selling for a record breaking $4.4m.
The congressional copy of the Thirteenth Amendment is one of only 15 recorded manuscripts copies signed by Lincoln, an one of just nine signed by Lincoln alongside the senators and congressmen who passed it for ratification by the states.
The Emancipation Proclamation is one of 48 limited edition copies produced to be sold - for the sum of $10 each - to benefit the Sanitary Commission, which provided medical care and support for Union soldiers.
The rare companion documents, both signed by President Abraham Lincoln, represent a profound insight into the enduring legacy of Lincoln's vision for the legal abolition of slavery in the United States, something he considered as his most important act as president.