Day 1: Historic & Early Americana
Fri, Apr 24, 2026 09:00AM EDT
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![[SLAVERY] 1857 Slave Auctioneer's Bill](https://s1.img.bidsquare.com/item/xl/3551/35510409.jpeg?t=1VUydV)
Lot 186
[SLAVERY] 1857 Slave Auctioneer's Bill
Estimate: $500 - $750
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $10 |
| $100 | $25 |
| $300 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
Autograph document signed by William Tench, Auctioneer. [Petersburg, Virginia], 31 October 1857. 1 page, 4to.
An auction settlement for the "sale of Servant man Tom belonging to T.W. Bell, Esq. Sold at Public Auction this 31st day of Oct. 1857 by Wm. Tench Auct." The document records that Tom was sold to James Wilkerson for $75. Tench then deducts his fees, advertising costs, and taxes from the total. William Tench operated a prolific auction house in Petersburg, frequently selling slaves in the antebellum period until Emancipation and the end of the war.
An unusual recording of the fees recorded by the well-known auctioneer.
[Civil War, Union, Confederate] [African Americana, African American History, Black History, Slavery, Enslavement, Abolition, Emancipation] [Manuscripts, Documents, Letters, Ephemera, Signatures, Autographs]
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