A Founding Father’s Signature and an 1830s Jug Made by a Slave

Interesting high-priced items that sold recently: We were always told that autograph collectors often want signatures of all the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Of course, the rarest is the most expensive. His name, Button Gwinnett (he died in 1777), is easy to remember. Price at a Sotheby’s auction for a rare Button signature on a letter: $722,500. Ever heard of “Dave the Slave”? He made pottery in Edgefield, South Carolina, in the 1830s. A jug bought for $25 years ago just sold at an Eagles Basket Auction in Travelers Rest, South Carolina, for $13,000.