This suite once belonged to Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of President Abraham Lincoln. Mrs. Lincoln probably purchased these jewels at Galt and Brothers in Washington, D.C. in 1864, two years after the death of her beloved son Willie. The decoration of black tracery enamel made the set appropriate to wear for the late stages of mourning. Following the president’s assassination, Mrs. Lincoln fell into dire financial circumstances and was forced to sell many of her possessions. An avid shopper with an eye for fashion and quality, Mrs. Lincoln expected the sale of her clothes and jewelry to offset her debts, estimated at $6,000. The sale took place at Brady and Company in New York City and drew much presale publicity, most of it negative. One West Virginia newspaper article described the sale as “low . . . sordid . . . disgraceful.” As a result, the items sold for less than expected. An article describing many of the sale objects appeared in Frank Lesley’s Illustrated Newspaper on October 26, 1867. It presented this suite with a sale price of $350, which would have been its price when new. Its final selling price was not published.