Title:
1896 Typed Letter Signed by William McKinley – Pre-Presidency Correspondence – PSA/DNA Certified & Encapsulated

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Description:
Presented here is a finely preserved Typed Letter Signed (TLS) by William McKinley, dated April 21, 1896, just months before he would be elected the 25th President of the United States. Typed on personalized stationery from Canton, Ohio, and addressed to Mr. William E. Curtis of the Washington Bureau of The Chicago Record, the letter reads:

"I am very much obliged for yours of the 15th., and will communicate at once with General Grosvenor."

Yours very truly,
[Signed] Wm. McKinley

The letter is boldly signed in ink by McKinley and remains in excellent condition, housed in a PSA/DNA slab and authenticated as an original autograph with certification number 85526541.

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Historical Context:
In April 1896, William McKinley was at the height of his national prominence, having served as Governor of Ohio and a U.S. Congressman, and was emerging as the Republican frontrunner in that year’s presidential election. Just two months after this letter, he would secure the Republican nomination at the party’s national convention in St. Louis. Later that year, he would defeat William Jennings Bryan in a pivotal election that ushered in a new era of American industrial and economic expansion.

The recipient, William Eleroy Curtis, was a prominent journalist and political correspondent who had significant influence in Washington circles. McKinley’s mention of General Grosvenor, a close political ally and fellow Ohio congressman, further ties this letter to the intricate network that supported his path to the presidency.

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Authentication & Encapsulation:

• Authentication Service: PSA/DNA

• Certification Number: 85526541

• Type: Typed Letter Signed (TLS)

• Encapsulation: PSA/DNA tamper-evident slab providing both protection and display-ready presentation.

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Closing Appeal:
This is a superb pre-presidential artifact from William McKinley, dating from the critical months leading up to his election in 1896. Authenticated and encapsulated by PSA/DNA, it provides a direct and personal link to one of the key political figures of the Gilded Age. An ideal addition to any advanced collection of presidential autographs, political history, or 19th-century American leadership.