Calvin Coolidge autograph check, 1912

DescriptionCoolidge became a scandalous president, but we don’t remember. Ordinary financial corruption. The quality of this signature, with its smudge, makes it a “bargain.”The autograph market is kind of funny. There are like 10 top sellers: Lincoln, Washington, etc. about 100 second tier, like Robert E. Lee, then like everyone else.The term “document” implies some official status applied to a piece of paper or non-paper equivalent (digital, cuneiform tablet, etc.). Any other piece of paper that might be of interest to collectors for some reason can be classified as “paper ephemera.” Could be a product wrapper, or a check (cheque). Or a magazine, or a postcard.Over the decades I’ve been selling collectibles my market has been about 97% coins, 2% paper money, 1% everything else.