The 19th century pocket watch almost auctioned off until they found out who the owner was
An antique 19th century silver watch was about to be sold at auction in Florida, until it was discovered that it belonged to a former president.
An antique 19th century silver watch was about to be sold at auction in Florida, until the auctioneer realized it belonged to a former U.S. President, Theodore Roosevelt. The antique has since been returned to New York, but what exactly happened?
According to the FBI, in conjunction with the National Park Service, the watch was given to Roosevelt by his sister and brother-in-law, Corinne and Douglas Robinson Jr. shortly before he left for the Spanish-American War in Cuba in 1898. After the former President’s death in 1919, the object was donated to the Park Service for display at the Sagamore Hill National Historic Site on Long Island.
Subsequently, in 1971, the item was loaned to the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site in Buffalo, New York, where it was stolen in 1987 during an exhibit at the Ansley Wilcox House. Thirty-seven years after its theft, the item has been returned to the National Park Service for display at Roosevelt’s home at Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, where it will remain for the next three months.
“The repatriation of the watch would not have been possible without the close collaboration between the FBI and NPS,” said Special Agent Robert Giczy via a press release. “This partnership ensured that this historic treasure could be returned safely for future generations to enjoy.”
You may also be interested in: These 2023 pennies can be worth $600
As reported by the Park Service, the auctioneer realized that the watch had belonged to the former president because of an inscription on the inside that read “THEODORE ROOSEVELT FROM D.R. & C.R.R.” He then contacted the historic sites and the Park Service. At the moment, it has not been determined who stole the pocket watch from the exhibit nearly 40 years ago, nor how it ended up at auction in Florida.
Who was Theodore Roosevelt?
According to Smithsonian Institution records, Theodore Roosevelt became the 26th President of the United States in 1901, after then-President William McKinley was assassinated at age 42. By 1904, Roosevelt ran to win the presidency “in his own right,” defeating New York Democrat Alton B. Parker.