President Lincoln — Robert Simpich’s Personal Collection Piece
Heirloom Condition | Signed by Robert Simpich | NH #34 | 1984 New Head Edition | From Robert & Jan Simpich’s Personal Collection
This is one of the most remarkable Simpich historical pieces I have ever had the privilege to offer.
President Lincoln was one of Robert Simpich’s most deeply studied and personally meaningful designs. Robert spent much of his life researching and admiring the man who led our nation through its darkest chapter, and that reverence is felt in every detail of this piece. Lincoln is shown at his inauguration, standing with quiet dignity beside a small table and Bible, a powerful symbol of the weight and solemnity of the office he was about to carry.
Robert first created a rendition of Lincoln in the 1950s, but he would take nearly twenty years before returning to the design in its mature Simpich Character Doll form. When President Lincoln was officially introduced in 1983, Robert approached the piece with extraordinary care, studying Lincoln’s likeness through paintings, photographs, and historical references made during Lincoln’s lifetime. The result was a design that reflected not only Robert’s skill as a sculptor, but also the deep gratitude both Robert and Jan Simpich felt for America, and for the freedom that allowed them to chase their creative dreams.
What makes this particular Lincoln especially fascinating is the story behind the head design. After the 1983 introduction, Robert was given the opportunity to study a death mask of Abraham Lincoln himself. For a sculptor working in three dimensions, that kind of reference offered a completely different understanding of Lincoln’s face. With that new context, Robert redesigned the Lincoln head in 1984.
That makes the early President Lincoln pieces one of the most interesting special edition variations the Simpich family ever produced. Although the full edition was limited to 1,000 numbered pieces, the 1983 examples appear to be the only ones made with the original head design. Our best estimate is that roughly 10–20% of the total edition feature that original 1983 sculpt, while the remaining 80–90% include the updated 1984 head design.
And then there is this piece.
On the bottom of the stand, this Lincoln is marked “1984 NH #34” and is signed by Robert Simpich. “NH” almost certainly refers to the New Head edition, making this a very early example of the redesigned Lincoln sculpt. Notably, there is no standard total edition numbering written on the base. I want to be transparent: I am not certain exactly what that means. It may have been part of a small artist-proof-like group created for the new head design before Robert returned to the main edition numbering. It may also have been included within the 1,000-piece edition, but kept without the standard numbering because Robert reserved it for his own collection.
What we do know is what matters most: this was Robert Simpich’s personal President Lincoln, kept in his and Jan’s own collection, signed by the artist, and preserved in Heirloom Condition.
The piece itself is a beautiful and deeply respectful example of Simpich historical storytelling. Lincoln stands in his black formal coat, with his hand held near his chest, his face sculpted with the thoughtful intensity and burdened wisdom so closely associated with him. Beside him rests the Bible on a small wooden table, adding both visual balance and historical meaning to the scene. The sculpt, tailoring, woodwork, and overall presentation all speak to the care and reverence Robert brought to this design.
For a Simpich collector, this is not simply a rare President Lincoln. It is a piece tied directly to Robert’s own hand, his own research, his own evolving artistic process, and his personal collection. Between the signature, the NH #34 marking, the 1984 redesigned head, and the connection to Robert and Jan Simpich themselves, this is one of those pieces that belongs in the highest category of Simpich collecting.
A truly exceptional President Lincoln, offered in Heirloom Condition, with a provenance and story that would be nearly impossible to duplicate.
President Lincoln — Robert Simpich’s Personal Collection Piece
Heirloom Condition | Signed by Robert Simpich | NH #34 | 1984 New Head Edition | From Robert & Jan Simpich’s Personal Collection
This is one of the most remarkable Simpich historical pieces I have ever had the privilege to offer.
President Lincoln was one of Robert Simpich’s most deeply studied and personally meaningful designs. Robert spent much of his life researching and admiring the man who led our nation through its darkest chapter, and that reverence is felt in every detail of this piece. Lincoln is shown at his inauguration, standing with quiet dignity beside a small table and Bible, a powerful symbol of the weight and solemnity of the office he was about to carry.
Robert first created a rendition of Lincoln in the 1950s, but he would take nearly twenty years before returning to the design in its mature Simpich Character Doll form. When President Lincoln was officially introduced in 1983, Robert approached the piece with extraordinary care, studying Lincoln’s likeness through paintings, photographs, and historical references made during Lincoln’s lifetime. The result was a design that reflected not only Robert’s skill as a sculptor, but also the deep gratitude both Robert and Jan Simpich felt for America, and for the freedom that allowed them to chase their creative dreams.
What makes this particular Lincoln especially fascinating is the story behind the head design. After the 1983 introduction, Robert was given the opportunity to study a death mask of Abraham Lincoln himself. For a sculptor working in three dimensions, that kind of reference offered a completely different understanding of Lincoln’s face. With that new context, Robert redesigned the Lincoln head in 1984.
That makes the early President Lincoln pieces one of the most interesting special edition variations the Simpich family ever produced. Although the full edition was limited to 1,000 numbered pieces, the 1983 examples appear to be the only ones made with the original head design. Our best estimate is that roughly 10–20% of the total edition feature that original 1983 sculpt, while the remaining 80–90% include the updated 1984 head design.
And then there is this piece.
On the bottom of the stand, this Lincoln is marked “1984 NH #34” and is signed by Robert Simpich. “NH” almost certainly refers to the New Head edition, making this a very early example of the redesigned Lincoln sculpt. Notably, there is no standard total edition numbering written on the base. I want to be transparent: I am not certain exactly what that means. It may have been part of a small artist-proof-like group created for the new head design before Robert returned to the main edition numbering. It may also have been included within the 1,000-piece edition, but kept without the standard numbering because Robert reserved it for his own collection.
What we do know is what matters most: this was Robert Simpich’s personal President Lincoln, kept in his and Jan’s own collection, signed by the artist, and preserved in Heirloom Condition.
The piece itself is a beautiful and deeply respectful example of Simpich historical storytelling. Lincoln stands in his black formal coat, with his hand held near his chest, his face sculpted with the thoughtful intensity and burdened wisdom so closely associated with him. Beside him rests the Bible on a small wooden table, adding both visual balance and historical meaning to the scene. The sculpt, tailoring, woodwork, and overall presentation all speak to the care and reverence Robert brought to this design.
For a Simpich collector, this is not simply a rare President Lincoln. It is a piece tied directly to Robert’s own hand, his own research, his own evolving artistic process, and his personal collection. Between the signature, the NH #34 marking, the 1984 redesigned head, and the connection to Robert and Jan Simpich themselves, this is one of those pieces that belongs in the highest category of Simpich collecting.
A truly exceptional President Lincoln, offered in Heirloom Condition, with a provenance and story that would be nearly impossible to duplicate.
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