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Image Source: Jason Wickersty/National Park Service/AP via The Washington Post
Edwin Bailey came into possession of a pocket watch that he believed belonged to Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States. According to The Washington Post, Bailey planned to sell the watch at auction. However, he never got the opportunity to do so.
Federal agents seized the watch, which had been stolen in and lost since 1987. Last month, the watch was returned to Roosevelt’s family home at the Sagamore Hill National Historic Site in Oyster Bay, New York.
Bailey said he initially noticed the watch in one of a collector’s shoeboxes. The inscription on the side of the watch’s silver case caught his interest.
The inscription read, “THEODORE ROOSEVELT and D.R. & C.R.R.” As such, the watch may have been related to the former U.S. president and Douglas Robinson and Corinne Roosevelt Robinson, his brother-in-law and sister. This prompted Bailey to conduct additional research to get insights into the watch’s origins.
In his research, Bailey found 400 letters that Roosevelt wrote to his sister. In one of these letters, Roosevelt referred to a watch as a “useful present” he received from Douglas and Corinne Robinson.
Bailey continued to gather evidence to support his belief that the watch once belonged to Roosevelt. He convinced the watch’s owner to put the item up for sale with Blackwell Auctions with an opening bid price of $50,000.
Surprisingly, federal agents arrived at the auction with a warrant to seize the watch. They also took all of Bailey’s watch research and materials. Although it may have been disappointing for Bailey to miss out on the opportunity to sell the watch at auction, he said he was “downright giddy” with the result, as it meant he was right about the watch belonging to Roosevelt.
Dan Kobialka is a self-employed content writer and editor with about a decade of experience. He produces content across a wide range of industries, including antiques, insurance, and real estate. To learn more about Dan, please visit his website.
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