Winter Auction 2016 Closing January 30th
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/31/2016
In the Fall of 1959 a troubled Marine Corps vet named Lee Harvey Oswald arrived in Moscow and began a 33 month Soviet odyssey that has baffled historians and fueled conspiracy theorists ever since. This extraordinary piece dates from the later portion of his Soviet stay when his disillusion with the realities of communist life found him begging for permission for he and his wife Marina and daughter June to emigrate to the US. This 4 1/4" x 6" envelope is hand addressed by Oswald to his mother back in Vernon, Texas. The envelope features a Minsk postmark and a USPS employee's notation "1st Notice. 12-12-61" in ballpoint pen. The envelope is in fine condition with the lower left corner clipped off and various creases and edge tears from its long journey from Minsk to Texas. The soft lamination on the envelope suggests that this piece was used as an exhibit for the Warren Commission as other letters and envelopes from Oswald used in the investigation display the same lamination. The envelope has been paired with Oswald's mugshot and the entire piece is professionally matted and framed to 17 1/2" x 22 1/2". Letter of Authenticity from PSA/DNA.