851. FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT (1882-1945) Thirty-second President of the United States who instituted the "New Deal" programs and who led the United States through most of World War II. A true rarity, an "illegal" free frank, being his franking signature "Franklin D. Roosevelt" on the upper right portion of an official White House envelope (7 1/4" x 4.75") addressed in type to "Abe Schoenfeld, Esq., Grand Central Post Office, New York, New York." Bears a Washington, D.C., September 14, 1940 postmark. This extremely rare piece was reproduced in Charles Hamilton's two-volume, American Autographs (p. 535). Accompanied by a typed letter from Charles Hamilton to collector Morton Dean Joyce on Mar. 11, 1957 offering the piece for sale. Hamilton noted that "Some time ago I chatted with a collector who owns the only two known franked envelopes of Franklin D. Roosevelt as President. He was once offered $8,000 for one of them!" Hamilton continues noting that the piece is a true frank, not an ordinary signed cover. "Only because he had done an important political favor for F.D.R. was the owner able to persuade the President -- to use F.D.R.'s words -- 'to break the law.'" Presidents, as well as the Vice President, members of the House and Senate, and other federal officials enjoyed the franking privilege until 1873, when after much official abuse, it was abolished. Although Congress granted itself the frank only two years later, it was never granted again to a sitting President. As Hamilton noted in 1957, the piece is still in "beautiful condition, and is the rarest of all Presidential franks." $3,000-4,000