F.B.I. and Expert Reports Cast Doubt That Celebrated Stovepipe Hat Was Lincoln’s

At the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Illinois, an iconic stovepipe hat has become a symbol in a fierce public relations effort to save an expansive collection of Lincoln artifacts.

But now the question looms large: Was the stovepipe hat even Lincoln’s?

A private nonprofit that owns the $25 million collection, including the hat, is so deep in debt that it is considering selling some of the artifacts.