Franklin Roosevelt had just begun the first of his four presidential terms in March 4, 1933, where he was tasked with lifting the United States out of the Great Depression that had ground the economy to a standstill. With unemployment at a record 25%, Roosevelt was beginning to implement his New Deal Programs intended to provide relief and recovery when he personally signed this typed letter congratulating a Mr. and Mrs. Charles Saunders on their 65th wedding anniversary. The 7 x 9-inch letter dated April 22, 1933 states that Roosevelt just learned of their wedding anniversary on the 23rd of April and wanted to join their friends in “extending hearty congratulations and best wishes” to the couple on the occasion. The letter is in official White House letterhead and Roosevelt signed the bottom of the typed letter in black ink. The letter comes with the original envelope with official White House letterhead addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Saunders. A three-cent stamp is affixed to the right corner and features a black cancellation stamp labeled “ADDRESS YOUR MAIL TO STREET NUMBER” across the stamp. This comes with a LOA from Beckett Authentication (AA09001).

The second item in this presented lot is a 15 ½ x 19 ¼-inch military appointment with President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s name at the top. The military appointment was given to a Joseph P. McCaffery, appointing him to the rank of Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps on May 29th, 1934.  The appointment was dated 6th, 1935, by the Secretary of the Navy, Claude A. Swanson. The Seal of the President of the United States rests atop the document, with the Seal of the Navy adorned on the bottom.

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