Checks Rediscovered in Ohio Bank Vault From Washington, Twain, Dickens & Lincoln (Day Before Assassination!)

(AP) -- A personal check that Abraham Lincoln wrote the day before he was assassinated is among those that were rediscovered by an Ohio bank.

The Plain Dealer in Cleveland reports that 70 checks were found in a vault at Huntington Bank's Columbus headquarters, including checks signed by George Washington, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens and Thomas Edison. Some are being displayed at branches throughout the state.

The Lincoln check had been made out to "self" for $800. According to bank spokesman Bill Eiler, the check was reportedly used to get cash to pay debts ran up by his wife, who was known to be a big spender. An $800 tab would be the equivalent of $11,260 today.

The checks had been stored in a vault since at least 1983, when Huntington took over another bank. An employee had begun looking through old boxes last year, which led to the discovery of the checks.

The Plain Dealer reports that a Cincinnati appraiser valued the entire collection of 70 checks at $75,000.

Also among the checks are one from author Ernest Hemingway, written in 1932, for $3.50 to Curtis Publishing Co.; one from civil rights leader Susan B. Anthony, written in 1897, for $5.63, to pay a woman for office supplies; and one from Thomas Jefferson, written in 1793, for $22.69, to Jacob Stine.