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Lincoln letters to, from San Marino found

SPRINGFIELD — A country can’t be too small or too far away, apparently, to get in on the craze for Lincoln memorabilia.

Springfield’s Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum says in a statement that the tiny European nation of San Marino has helped turn up letters to Lincoln.

An 1861 letter from San Marino’s joint heads of state bestows honorary citizenship on Lincoln. It also expresses hope for peace in the U.S. In a response, the 16th president writes the Civil War involves the question of whether a country can save itself from internal division.

The letters are being incorporated into a decade-old project to scan Lincoln documents. Nearly 100,000 have been scanned to date.

San Marino is an enclave surrounded by Italy and only about 24 square miles in size.

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