GUEST: I came upon this flag cleaning out my parents' home.

I've had it for about 30 years, and it had been stored in a biography of Abraham Lincoln.

My dad was a World War II veteran.

He loved Americana.

He loved American history.

He loved to go to auctions, estate sales, and collect things.

However, I don't know where he got this or when he got it.

I never knew about it during his lifetime.

Of course, this is President Lincoln and his running mate, Andrew Johnson, and I... Uh, I believe that this was the 1864 campaign.

APPRAISER: That's correct.

It was an interesting campaign.

The Civil War was still grinding on.

Lincoln was afraid that he might lose the election.

In fact, he was pretty sure he was going to lose.

He was running against George McClellan, who was a celebrated, uh, Civil War general, at, at least among some circles.

Lincoln was thinking, "What can I do to help my ticket?"

And he turned to the border states and found Andrew Johnson, who was a staunch Unionist from Eastern Tennessee.

He'd been the governor of Tennessee, and Lincoln looked at him, he said, "He's sort of a Southerner.

This might swing Kentucky and, and Missouri into my camp.

Let's get Andrew Johnson on the ticket."

I think that he probably chose him reluctantly.

Johnson was a virulent racist.

I mean, he was the antithesis of, of Lincoln.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: But he fit the bill.

And they did get elected, as you know.

After the election and after Lincoln was assassinated on April 15, 1865, Johnson, who succeeded him, proceeded to try to undo everything he did that was helping, uh, African Americans.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: But this is a flag that would-- I think you're correct-- probably would've been used in a local campaign... GUESDT: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: ...where it might've been waved in a little parade.

The flag itself is made out of polished cotton.

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: It's a printed flag.

The "Lincoln and Johnson" has been hand-painted.

Normally, they're mass-produced, they're stenciled on.

The ribbon is actually a piece of silk.

Lincoln campaign flag collectors find flags from this election are much scarcer than the 1860 campaign, and so they're willing to pay a premium for those flags.

A name flag, which is what this is... GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: ...it just has names of the candidates on there... GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: ...is considered great, but if you're really looking for the greatness of the greatness of the greatness, you want a picture of the candidate.

They're very rare-- incredibly rare.

This flag is a pretty rare flag.

It's rare because it's small.

Most of the campaign flags are 18 by 24.

This is the first one that I've seen this size, and certainly the first one that I've ever seen where it's been hand-painted.

What do you think it's worth?

GUEST: I hope it's worth a couple thousand dollars.

APPRAISER: I would place an auction value on it of between $5,000 and $7,000.

GUEST: Okay.

Wow!

Excellent-- excellent.

APPRAISER: (chuckles) GUEST: My dad would just love seeing it here.

(chuckling) So, thank you.