NEW YORK CITY — On November 22, Guernsey’s conducted its American History Auction after a two-day exhibition at Arader Galleries on Madison Avenue. The “somewhat unprecedented” auction, according to the firm’s pre-sale press release, offered just 61 lots of museum-quality objects from the firm’s collection of important artifacts from American history. Leading the sale was the 37-star United States Applegate Flag, which draped Abraham Lincoln’s coffin aboard his funeral train in 1865, during the transport of his body from Washington, DC, to Springfield, Ill. The 28-by-37-inch flag was constructed from 15 individual pieces of wool bunting as well as 37 hand-sewn, five-point, single appliqué cotton sheeting stars. It contained a maker’s mark, that read “Annin & Co., 99 & 101 Fulton St. N.Y.,” as well as former owner Lewis Applegate’s signature. The somber flag had provenance to former Senator Edwin D. Morgan, one of Lincoln’s six pallbearers, then by descent through Applegate’s family for more than 150 years. The flag flew high for $550,000, with premium. Additional highlights from his historic sale will be featured in an upcoming issue.