New: A rare Muhammad Ali handwritten letter

When was the last time you received a letter?

Not a utility bill. Sadly we still get plenty of those in the mail.

But an actual honest-to-goodness handwritten letter.

In this digital age, they've sadly become a bit of a rarity.

But there's a personal touch to a handwritten letter that makes them special.

So when I received this one in the post today, I was thrilled.

And so will you be when you see it.

Because it was handwritten 50 years ago, by Muhammad Ali.

And the next person I send it to could be you.

What makes this letter so special?

An incredibly rare handwritten letter from the greatest athlete of the 20th century.

When you collect autographs and memorabilia, one thing is true.

You want to own pieces which bring you as close as possible to history.

That's why handwritten personal letters are so sought after. And why this Muhammad Ali letter really stands out as a special item.

First of all, it's exceptionally rare.

Ali signed many autographs during his lifetime, but it's highly unusual to find a full handwritten letter. This is certainly the first I've ever offered.

Second, the content is highly significant.

Ali expresses his profound spiritual beliefs, following his conversion to Islam.

Third, it was written during a remarkable period in his life, circa 1968 - 75.

During that time Ali was banned from boxing at the peak of his career for his refusal of the Vietnam War draft;
He became a counterculture icon and a leading figure in the Civil Rights movement;
And he returned to boxing with 'The Fight of the Century', the 'Rumble in the Jungle' and the 'Thrilla in Manila'.

And fourth, it comes with a link to a very surprising name.

But we'll get to that later...

Signed twice by the People's Champ

Ali handwrote this letter and signed it twice during the most significant period of his career.

The first thing to note about this letter is that Ali has signed it twice.

Once at the top: "To Phyllis Clark from Muhammad Ali";

And again at the end: "Love always, Muhammad Ali".

The second example in particular is superb.

Large, bold and unmistakable, and signed with a confident flourish.

(Just like the man himself).

Then there's the fact that Ali has unusually included his own address "4944 Woodlawn Avenue, Chicago".

He purchased the house in 1968 and owned it until the mid-1970s, which provides us with a time period for the undated letter.

The house was highly significant for Ali, as it was a block away from the home of his spiritual mentor Elijah Muhammad, leader of the Nation of Islam.

His devotion to his faith is clear in the content of the letter.

A spiritual man

The content of the letter regarding Ali's spiritual beliefs gives you a greater connection to the man himself.

In the letter Ali quotes from Hazrat Inayat Khan, a leading figure in Sufism - "the mystical expression of Islamic faith".

It reads in part:

"God is the ideal that raises mankind to the utmost reach of perfection...

“If he has helped anybody, if he has been kind to anybody, if he has made sacrifices for anybody, he does not look for appreciation or return for his doing so to the people to whom he has done good; for he considers that he has done it for God...

“He does not care even if instead of praising they blame him; for in any case he has done it for God, who is the best judge and the knower of all things.”

He ends by adding "I hope you will recuperate to the best of health", and signs off “Love always, Muhammad Ali”.

This content brings you closer to Ali himself: a thoughtful and deeply spiritual man when the gloves were off.

That's why rare letters like this are highly valued by collectors. For example:

In 2016, a handwritten letter in which he first confirmed his conversion to Islam sold at auction for a record $131,450.

A surprising discovery

This vintage example of Ali's autograph is far larger and more expressive than those he signed later in life.

And what about the surprising link I mentioned earlier?

Well here it is.

This personal letter is addressed to a Phyllis Clark.

And through my research I discovered a Phyllis Clark in Chicago, with a close connection to Ali during this time frame.

She was the wife of Laurence Tureaud, who once served as Ali's bodyguard.

(Along with his other famous clients including Steve McQueen, Michael Jackson, Joe Frazier and Leon Spinks.)

Does the name sound familiar? Perhaps not. Because you probably know Tureaud by another name...

The one-and-only Mr T.

Mr T spent time with Ali on the southside of Chicago, and watched him break up street fights in tough neighbourhoods.

"I learned a lot of stuff from Muhammad Ali," he later wrote.

"The going back in to the hood, and stuff like that. He used to see guys arguing, gambling on the corner about to cut each other. He would say 'Heeeey!' The guys would stop fighting, they'd say 'It's the champ!' And he would say 'Break that up!'"

So not only did Muhammad Ali once hold this letter in his hands...

There's an intriguing possibility that 'Clubber Lang' did as well!

Own this remarkable letter today

This letter is without doubt one of the nicest Muhammad Ali items I've ever handled.

I've sold many Muhammad Ali items over the years. But this has to be one of my all-time favourites.

To borrow a boxing term, this is a heavyweight collector's item.