J.D. Salinger Endorsed Bank Check — "For Deposit Only" in the Reclusive Author's Own Hand
J.D. Salinger (1919-2010), whose "The Catcher in the Rye" became one of the defining novels of the 20th century and whose decades-long withdrawal from public life made any item bearing his signature exceptionally rare, endorsed this bank check in his own hand on the reverse. The check is drawn on the Claremont National Bank, Claremont, New Hampshire, check number 4700, dated November 4, 1974, made payable to "J.D. Sa[vings?]" for $341.95 and signed on the front by account holder Erwin H. Jache. The reverse bears multiple bank clearance stamps and, in Salinger's hand: "J.D. Salinger / For Deposit Only."
Salinger retreated to Cornish, New Hampshire in 1953 and spent the remainder of his life there in near-total seclusion, signing almost nothing for collectors. Endorsed checks of this kind, passing through his hands in the ordinary course of rural New Hampshire banking, are among the very few categories of Salinger signature that exist outside institutional archives.
Bank check, Claremont National Bank, check no. 4700, dated November 4, 1974, $341.95; endorsed on reverse "J.D. Salinger / For Deposit Only" in black ink with multiple bank clearance stamps (IMG_229.jpg, IMG_230.jpg). Soiling and stamp impressions consistent with bank processing; overall good condition. Estimate: $3,000-$5,000.
This item will be accompanied by a Letter of Authenticity from One of a Kind Collectibles.