The Presidential Patent Collection

Listed below is our Presidential Patent Collection Inventory. If any individual item interests you,
view our online catalog for availability.

GEORGE WASHINGTON as president AND TIMOTHY PICKERING AS SECRETARY OF STATE
Signed Patent for improvement in mode of making nails and brads from cold iron. Accompanied by a two-page description of the invention.
Document also signed by Charles Lee, U.S. Attorney General. To Peter Zacharie, one page, May 4, 1796. Very rare. Only 20 years earlier, Adam Smith in his work Wealth of Nations used the manufacturing of nails as his example of the efficiency of the division of labor. Zacharie notes at the end that “my mill may cut in one day 8 millions of nails. The patent was reproduced in Scientific American, May 13, 1899. The new type of nail described was important in the development of the frontier, as it speeded in the erection of buildings and forts.
C01234

GEORGE WASHINGTON as president AND TIMOTHY PICKERING AS SECRETARY OF STATE
Signed patent for one of the first IMPROVEMENTS on Eli Whitney’s cotton gin. Document signed "G:º Washington" as President and "Timothy Pickering" as Secretary of State, and "Charles Lee" as Attorney General; Philadelphia, May 12, 1796 one page, vellum, with a one page description of the invention, signed by the inventor, Hodgen Holmes.
C08690

THOMAS JEFFERSON AS PRESIDENT AND LEVI LINCOLN AS ACTING SECRETARY OF STATE
Signed Patent for an improvement in making and discharging chain and cleaver shot.
Document also signed by Levi Lincoln as Attorney General. To Israel Hatch, one page, March 24, 1801. Very rare military patent application. Chain and cleaver shot was probably a variation on ball and chain shot, consisting of two heavy iron balls attached by a chain, which was used to cut down the tall masts of ships or large numbers of massed troops.
C05935

THOMAS JEFFERSON AS PRESIDENT AND JAMES MADISON AS SECRETARY OF STATE
Signed Patent for an improvement in power obtained by the rising and falling of the tide to give motion to all kinds of machinery.
Document also signed by Levi Lincoln as Attorney General. To John Staples, Jr., one page, March 18, 1803.
C01993

THOMAS JEFFERSON AS PRESIDENT AND JAMES MADISON AS SECRETARY OF STATE
Signed Patent for an improvement on a balance pendulum lock “...originally invented by, & patented to Samuel Goodwin & ...Richard Gaines”. Accompanied by a 3/4 page description of the invention.
Document also signed by John Breckinridge as Attorney General. To Richard Gaines, one page, March 17, 1806.
C07006

JAMES MADISON AS PRESIDENT AND JAMES MONROE AS SECRETARY OF STATE
Signed Patent for a useful improvement “in the wool-carding machine”.
Document also signed by William Pickney as Attorney General. To George Booth, one page, October 13, 1812. C06847

JAMES MADISON AS PRESIDENT AND JAMES MONROE AS SECRETARY OF STATE
Signed Patent for a machine for shearing cloth. Accompanied by a one-page description of the invention.
Document also signed by William Pickney as Attorney General. To George Booth, one page, October 14, 1812.
C05980

JAMES MADISON AS PRESIDENT AND JAMES MONROE AS SECRETARY OF STATE

Signed Patent for a “method of drawing and curing cancer.” Accompanied by a one-half page description of the invention: “A Liquid... is extracted by boiling from the Ashes of the Bark of Red Oak, Spanish Oak and Hickory... The said [liquid] is applied to the cancer on the human body and repeated until the cancer Tumour [sic.] is destroyed.”

To Jacob Ware, one and one-half pages, September 20, 1815. Extremely rare medical patent.
C07187

JAMES MADISON AS PRESIDENT AND JAMES MONROE AS SECRETARY OF STATE

Signed Patent for an improvement in the kiln for burning lime. Accompanied by a one and one-half page description of invention.

Document also signed by Richard Rush as Attorney General. To Thomas Power, one page, January 7, 1817. C07010

JAMES MONROE AS PRESIDENT AS PRESIDENT AND JOHN QUINCY ADAMS AS SECRETARY OF STATE
Signed Patent for an improvement in “a machine for cutting straw, hay, stalks and other kinds of fodder for cattle: For, rags and ropes for paper making, & also tobacco for smoking.”

Accompanied by a two-page description of the invention.

Document also signed by William Wirt as Attorney General. To Alpheus Bigelow, one page, February 13, 1818. Rare paper & tobacco related patent!
C01232

JAMES MONROE AS PRESIDENT AND JOHN QUINCY ADAMS AS SECRETARY OF STATE
Signed Patent for an improvement in water wheels, called the “Chain Water Wheel”. Accompanied by a two-page description of the invention: “At the moment of the greater action of the current upon the float, the preceding one will be collapsed and the succeeding one will be about half opened by the chain, and thus cut the water, until brought into the place to receive the force of the water, and so with the whole.”
Document also signed by William Wirt as Attorney General. To David Beauchamp, one page, October 10, 1820.
C01905

JAMES MONROE AS PRESIDENT AND JOHN QUINCY ADAMS AS SECRETARY OF STATE
Signed Patent for an “improvement in making Shoes, Moccasins... &c., in Moulds [sic.] and Dies by pressure...”. Accompanied by a four-page description of the invention “This desirable object is effected by soaking a piece of soal, [sic.] or other leather... and then filling them with any adhesive substance calculated to repel moisture, improve the texture of the leather, and preserve the form and appearance of the impression given to the leather by means of moulds [sic.] or dies [sic.]...”
Document also signed by William Wirt as Attorney General. To John T. Staples and William H. Cornell, one page, December 15, 1824.
C01906

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS as president AND HENRY CLAY AS SECRETARY OF STATE
Signed Patent for an improvement in springs for wagons.
Document also signed by William Wirt as Attorney General. To Hazard Knowles, one page, November 4, 1825.
C04563

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS AS PRESIDENT AND HENRY CLAY AS SECRETARY OF STATE
Signed Patent for an improvement in preserving timber used in construction of canal locks.
Document also signed by William Wirt as Attorney General. To Simeon Guilford, one page, July 10, 1826.
C04564

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS AS PRESIDENT AND HENRY CLAY AS SECRETARY OF STATE
Signed Patent for “a new and useful improvement being a self-feeding brick press”.
Document also signed by William Wirt as Attorney General. To John Winslow, one page, December 8, 1826.
C07013

ANDREW JACKSON as president AND MARTIN VAN BUREN AS SECRETARY OF STATE

Signed Patent for revolving four barrel gun and improved percussion lock. Accompanied by one page with drawings and description.

Document also signed by John Macpherson Berrien as Attorney General. To Henry Rogers, one page, May 7, 1829.
C08675

ANDREW JACKSON AS PRESIDENT AND MARTIN VAN BUREN AS SECRETARY OF STATE
Signed Patent for an improvement in the steam engine. Accompanied by watercolor drawing and a four-page description of the invention.
Document also signed by John Macpherson Berrien as Attorney General. To Charles Potts, one page, May 31, 1830.
C04753

ANDREW JACKSON AS PRESIDENT AND MARTIN VAN BUREN AS SECRETARY OF STATE
Signed Patent for improvement in the printing press. Accompanied by a twelve and a half page description of the invention as well as hand colored illustrations.
Document also signed by John Macpherson Berrien as Attorney General. To Anson Sherman, one page, February 26, 1831.
C01230

ANDREW JACKSON AS PRESIDENT AND LOUIS MCLANE AS SECRETARY OF STATE
Signed Patent for an improvement in the door lock. Accompanied by a two and a half page description of the invention as well as illustrations.
Document also signed by Roger B. Taney as Attorney General. To James Kyle, one page, September 16, 1833.
C01911

ANDREW JACKSON AS PRESIDENT AND JOHN FORSYTH AS SECRETARY OF STATE
Signed patent for “improvement in cooking stoves called the self heat retaining stove”. Document also signed by Benjamin F. Butler as Attorney General. To John Moffett and Morton Saintor, July 17, 1835, one page on vellum, with embossed white wafer and red presidential seal and ribbon which attaches a two page description of the invention, signed by the inventors.
C01563

ANDREW JACKSON AS PRESIDENT AND ASBURY DICKINS AS ACTING SECRETARY OF STATE

Signed Patent for an improvement in the dead spindle for spinning cotton called the friction axis.

Document also signed by Benjamin F. Butler as Attorney General. To Henry Davis, one page, September 9, 1835.
C05224

ANDREW JACKSON AS PRESIDENT AND JOHN FORSYTH AS SECRETARY OF STATE

Signed Patent for improvement in constructing hubs of carriage wheels. Accompanied by patent drawing and a one-page description of the invention. This was possibly one of the last patents to be signed by a U.S. President before the new patent law passed on July 4, 1836 that did not call for the President to sign the documents.

Document also signed by Benjamin Butler as Attorney General. To Jonathan Atherstone, one page, June 11, 1836.
C04778

JAMES BUCHANAN as SECRETARY OF STATE
Signed Patent for improvement in the horse power of a drive shaft. Accompanied by a patent drawing and a description of the invention.
Also signed by Edmund Burke as Commissioner of Patents. To Daniel Carey, one page, June 27, 1846.
C02003

JAMES BUCHANAN AS SECRETARY OF STATE
Signed Patent for an improvement in cast iron chairs. Accompanied by a three page description of the invention.
To Jordan L. Mott, four pages, October 2, 1847.
C07017

robert r. livingston, co-inventor OF first SUCCESSFUL steamboat
Four months before he and Robert Fulton reached their goal of a viable steam engine for locomotion with the steamboat Clermont , Livingston penned this letter to botanist and lawyer Amos Eaton regarding Eaton’s attempts at building a perpetual motion engine: “I frankly acknowledge, & think the object sufficiently interesting to merrit [sic.] an experiment I do not myself see any radical defect in it But experience alone can determine whether it has power sufficient to over come the friction, & cut off magnetic communication, on this hunch must depend upon the accuracy & delicacy of the construction of the machine - could this be effected I should think with you, that you had discovered perpetual motion...” Autograph letter signed "Rob R. Livingston" to Amos Eaton, two pages with integral address leaf; Clermont, April 10, 1807.
C07366

thomas pinckney on PATENTS and new american inventions
Pinckney muses upon the question of remuneration of patentees: “...what ought the inventor of the improvement described to demand for the use of his patent right; should be considered in two points of view - the first is what it is fairly worth; the second that under the existing circumstances of this Country the Inventor is likely to obtain - with respect to the first point I am of opinion that the fairest mode of remuneration is that established by Mr [James] Watt in England for his improvement in the Steam Engine... [Eli] Whitney & Denale have been the most favord [sic.] Patenters that I can recollect - Whitney recd [sic.] $40000 from the State - Denale $10000 by the sale of his entire right in the state to individuals. I doubt the probability of similar sums being again attained...” Autograph letter signed "Thomas Pinckney" to General Read, three pages; Mou...neville, June 18, 1809.
C08698

THOMAS JEFFERSON LETTER REGARDING THE IMPORTANCE OF DOMESTIC SALT MANUFACTURES
“...but I have so long withdrawn from all attention to things of that kind, and have particularly been so little acquainted with the construction of salt works, as to be unable to give you any opinion on the probable success of your invention.” Autograph letter signed by Jefferson to Everard Hall, one page; Monticello, February 19, 1818.
C00631

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS as secretary of state, FREE FRANK OF LETTER REGARDING PATENTS
Autograph letter signed by William P. Elliot, regarding information about certain patents: “...there are one hundred & twelve machines for making cut nails &c, and only six for making wrought nails, the copies of which will cost $6.71...”. William Elliot designed the Patent Office building that replaced the one destroyed by fire in 1836. Elliot’s structure was used by the Patent Office from 1840-1932.[1] Accompanied by a free frank, signed by Adams as Secretary of State. To Daniel Treadwell, one page, November 17, 1824.
C00840

QUEEN VICTORIA
Signed Patent for a safety alarm and signal apparatus. To Edwin Pugh, on two skins, engraved text, in original case, one page October 26, 1856.
C06563

JACOB THOMPSON, SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR
Signed Patent for "improved method of Stemming & Polishing Pea nuts." Accompanied by a one page drawing and one and one half page description of the invention. To Samuel Shepherd, one page September 29, 1857.
C08676.03

JACOB THOMPSON, SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR
Signed Patent for an improvement in railroad brakes. Accompanied by a two-page description and one page of illustrations of the invention. To C.F. Solomon, one page, March 30, 1858.
C07502

CALVIN COOLIDGE as PRESIDENT, AND HERBERT HOOVER as SECRETARY OF COMMERCE APPOINTMENT
Signed Appointment of Examiner-in-Chief of the U.S. Patent Office. To Eugene Landers, one page, December 21, 1927.
C06991

THOMAS A. EDISON applying for phonogram patent in canada
Power of Attorney to the Commissioner of Patents in Ottawa, Canada “...with full powers of substitution and revocation, to prosecute an application for a patent for new and useful Improvements in Phonogram Blanks, to sign the drawings, to receive the patent, and to transact all business in the Patent Office connected therewith.” Document signed “Thomas Alva Edison”, one page; Orange, Essex County, New Jersey, August 24, 1888.
C006760

THOMAS EDISON Scientific American supplement
Featuring cover portrait of Edison with diagrams of his Electric Light Machine, Chandelier of Electric Lights and Parlour Electric Lights. Contains many scientific articles and instructions, including a diagram for constructing a barometer. New York, December 3, 1881.
C04523

P. 1: Presidential Patent Collection Introduction
P. 2: Presidential Patent Collection Featured Item
P. 3: Presidential Patent Collection Collection Highlights
P. 4: Presidential Patent Collection Inventory