Signed check by Rutherford B. Hayes

What it is

This is a scanned check from the Sergeant-at-Arms of the U.S. House of Representatives, dated Washington, 5th June 1866, made payable to F. & J. Rice for forty-six dollars and fifty cents, and signed by R. B. Hayes. It is held by the National Museum of American History.

Why it matters

The check dates from before Hayes became president, when he was serving as a U.S. Representative from Ohio. Everyday documents like this give a glimpse into the ordinary financial life of a political figure, separate from the grand events of his later presidency.

Look closer

• What does this check tell us about Hayes's life that a speech or portrait would not?
• Why might a museum preserve something as ordinary as a check?
• What can you learn about a person from how they sign their name?