Title:
John F. Kennedy Assassination Relic - Blood-Stained Leather from Presidential Limousine SS-100-X Housed in an Antique Crucifix

Description:
A deeply evocative relic associated with one of the defining events of 20th-century American history: an antique rosewood and steel crucifix containing authentic fragments of blood-stained leather removed from the rear seat of the presidential limousine in which President John F. Kennedy was mortally wounded in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963.

Measuring approximately 2.5 x 4.5 inches, the rosewood and steel crucifix features a hinged or swiveling construction that opens to reveal the preserved leather fragments secured within. The leather originated from the rear seating area of the presidential Lincoln Continental, commonly identified as SS-100-X, occupied by President Kennedy during the Dallas motorcade. Contemporary provenance associated with F. Vaughn Ferguson identifies light blue leather as originating from the center of the rear seat and dark blue leather as originating from its border. Ferguson further identified the staining on the leather as the dried blood of President Kennedy. Comparable pieces with the same Ferguson-Amyx provenance have been documented and offered by several major historical auction houses.

Accompanying the relic is a color copy of a November 22, 1982 Typed Letter Signed, or TLS, by F. Vaughn Ferguson on White House stationery, addressed to noted presidential memorabilia collector Raleigh DeGeer Amyx. In the letter, Ferguson documents that he and the White House upholsterer removed the light and dark blue leather at the White House four days after the assassination. Ferguson identifies the light blue material as coming from the center of the rear seat and the dark blue material from its border, and states that the spots on the leather were President Kennedy's dried blood. Ferguson concludes with a handwritten and signed postscript remembering Kennedy as a great man who had always been gracious to him and expressing how deeply he missed the president. The wording and date of this Ferguson letter are independently documented in prior auction records.

Historical Context:
On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was traveling through Dallas in the presidential limousine when he was assassinated. The vehicle became one of the most historically significant automobiles of the 20th century and an important piece of physical evidence in the investigation that followed.

F. Vaughn Ferguson served as a Ford Motor Company technical service representative assigned to the White House, with responsibility for the presidential automobile. Historical auction documentation records that after the assassination he encountered the limousine partially dismantled following the investigation for bullet fragments and other evidence. Ferguson later stated that four days after the assassination, he and the White House upholsterer removed portions of the rear-seat leather.

The limousine was subsequently sent to Hess & Eisenhardt in Cincinnati for an extensive security reconstruction. Federal records confirm that Ford Motor Company and Hess & Eisenhardt were incorporating approved security modifications into the existing presidential limousine by January 1964. The rebuilt vehicle incorporated extensive protective improvements and later returned to presidential service.

Ferguson retained portions of the removed upholstery, and documented examples later passed to Raleigh DeGeer Amyx, a prominent collector of presidential memorabilia. The Ferguson-to-Amyx provenance for both light and dark blue limousine leather has been repeatedly documented in the historical collectibles market, including examples offered by RR Auction, Heritage Auctions, and University Archives.

The transformation of a small portion of this material into a crucifix gives the present artifact an additional commemorative character. According to the supplied provenance and previous auction documentation, the leather fragments were placed within the crucifix by a later owner and the resulting relic was blessed.

Authentication & Encapsulation:
The relic is accompanied by a color copy of the November 22, 1982 Ferguson TLS documenting the origin and removal of the limousine leather. Published auction records independently reproduce and substantiate the essential contents of this provenance letter and document the transfer of Ferguson's limousine leather to Raleigh DeGeer Amyx.

• Additional Documentation & Provenance: At buyer's request, Historical Autographs Gallery will include an additional "Historical Autographs Gallery Certificate" signed by our company founder Luke Pascal at no cost.

Closing Appeal:
Few assassination-related artifacts possess the immediacy of material originating from the presidential limousine itself. Preserved within an antique crucifix and supported by the Ferguson-Amyx provenance, this relic brings together an object associated directly with the events of November 22, 1963 and a later commemorative presentation intended to memorialize President Kennedy. Its combination of documented limousine upholstery, blood staining attributed by Ferguson to President Kennedy, longstanding presidential-collecting provenance, and distinctive crucifix presentation makes it a particularly poignant artifact for an advanced collection of presidential, Kennedy, or American historical material.

Shipping Notice:
For insurance purposes, items sold over $600 may require signature confirmation upon delivery. Higher-value items, likely over $1,500, are shipped via FedEx 2-Day with Direct Signature Confirmation. FedEx provides the most flexibility when requiring a signature, allowing you to make special delivery requests directly through their tracking system. This ensures both security and convenience for the buyer.