This one-page letter was penned to John Olney by Abraham Lincoln on January 29, 1858, from Springfield, IL. In the letter, Abraham Lincoln, the lawyer, advised the recipient, John Olney, that he did not appear to have a viable land dispute case against Daniel Doup of Louisville, Kentucky. Just a few short months after writing this letter, Lincoln would put his law practice on hold to concentrate on politics. In June 1858, Lincoln accepted the Illinois Republican Party’s nomination to run for a Senate seat. His race against Democratic incumbent Stephen A. Douglas was marked by a series of seven debates, during which the two candidates debated the expansion of slavery into new territories. Although Douglas would hold his senatorial seat, the Lincoln-Douglas Debates propelled Abraham Lincoln from an unknown country lawyer to become the fledgling Republican Party’s rising star.

This historically significant piece of American history measures approximately 8” x 9½” and has been backed with Japanese tissue. There are two vertical and one horizontal fold with scattered stains and soiling to the surface. Lincoln’s signature is outstanding, mint in every respect. The letter has been encapsulated by PSA/DNA, and the signature is graded a perfect GEM MINT 10.