President Roosevelt’s personally-owned pewter paperweight, measuring 2.75 x 2.5 x 1.5, with an appealing smoothly curved dome design topped with a dime-sized emblem bearing a portrait of FDR raised in relief, encircled by the words, “President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Hyde Park, N. Y.” The bottom is also hand-engraved with the president’s initials, “F. D. R.,” and stamped by the maker, “Val-Kill.” Includes a detailed letter of provenance on White House letterhead from the wife of Arthur S. Prettyman, who was with FDR daily, serving as his valet from 1939 until his death in 1945, and continuing to work for President Truman until he left office. In part: “This pewter paper weight…was forged at Val-Kill near the President’s Hyde Park home…Val-Kill was started and managed by the First Lady…to provide work for the local under privileged and unemployed during the Great Depression…This was a personal possession of F.D.R.’s who gave it to my husband.” In splendid condition.
