U.S. 'Declaration of Independence' to be auctioned in Britain

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U.S. 'Declaration of Independence' to be auctioned in Britain



© RIA Novosti Михаил Фомичев

03:5204/12/2009

NEW YORK, December 4 (RIA Novosti) - The Declaration of Independence, one of the world's most historic documents, will go on Christie's auction on Friday.

The lot is one of the first written copies of the historic declaration, adopted unanimously on July 4, 1776 by all senators of the then existing 13 states.

It is a one-page copy made of parchment, which was evaluated under $500,000 for the auction.

The Declaration plays the central role of the 2004 Hollywood film "National Treasure," where the main character [Nicholas Cage] steals the document as he believes that it has secret clues to a treasure hidden by some of the 'Founding Fathers of the United States.'

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Lot 222 / Sale 2227

[DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE]. In Congress, July 4, 1776. The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America. When in the Course of Human Events... [Washington, D.C.] Engraved by W.I. Stone, for the Dept. of State, by order of J.Q. Adams, Secty. of State. July 4 1823.



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Sale Information

Sale 2227
Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts Including Americana
4 December 2009
New York, Rockefeller Plaza
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Lot Description
[DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE]. In Congress, July 4, 1776. The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America. When in the Course of Human Events... [Washington, D.C.] Engraved by W.I. Stone, for the Dept. of State, by order of J.Q. Adams, Secty. of State. July 4 1823.

Folio broadside (30¼ x 26¾ in.), PRINTED ON FINE PARCHMENT. Slight soiling at left-hand and right-hand margins, top edge slightly trimmed, torn with small losses in blank lower right-hand corner, two small holes mended.

"WHEN IN THE COURSE OF HUMAN EVENTS": THE OFFICIAL 1823 ENGRAVING OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

Stone's meticulously prepared, actual-size, engraved facsimile of America's founding document remains the most accurate of existing facsimiles and the only one officially authorized by Congress. In 1820 -- forty-four years after the Declaration of Independence was adopted by Congress and signed in Philadelphia by 56 delegates to the Continental Congress -- Secretary of State John Quincy Adams (the son of a Signer), commissioned William J. Stone to execute a full-scale facsimile of the historic document, the original of which had already suffered fading and wear during its vicissitudes since 1776. The engraving of the very large copperplate, it is reported, took Stone a full three years. Some have contended that a transfer process he used caused "some physical harm to the parchment" of the original (National Archives, Declaration of Independence: The Adventures of A Document, 1976, p.17).

On January 2, 1823, Adams formally notified the Senate that 200 copies had been printed, all on large sheets of parchment similar to that used in the engrossed original. Congress, in a Resolution of 26 May, directed that these be distributed to honor the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The President (James Monroe) and Vice-President were each to receive two copies, two more were allocated to former President James Madison, twenty copies to the two houses of Congress, two copies to each surviving Signer (Jefferson, John Adams and Charles Carroll), and two copies to the Marquis de Lafayette, who was shortly to visit the country whose independence he had helped to secure (one of Lafayette's copies was sold at Christie's, 22 November 1985, lot 194). Congress presented additional copies to colleges and libraries, and few remain today in private hands. A 1991 census counted 31 examples of which 19 were in institutions and twelve privately owned. J. Bidwell, "American History in Image and Text," in Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society, vol.98, part 2 (October 1988), no.7; W.R. Coleman, "Counting the Stones--A Census of the Stone Facismiles of the Declaration of Independence," in Manuscripts, vol.43, no.2, pp.97-105. Provenance: Joan B. Kroc (1928-2003) -- The present owner.

Pre-Lot Text
THE PROPERTY OF A MIDWESTERN GENTLEMAN
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• Books & Manuscripts

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• Books & Manuscripts

[zenbudda]

I've skimmed this post a few times and overlooked this important sentence:

Stone's meticulously prepared, actual-size, engraved facsimile of America's founding document remains the most accurate of existing facsimiles and the only one officially authorized by Congress.

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A legit piece of Philly history goes up for auction on Thursday: a 1774 edition of Ben Franklin’s newspaper “The Pennsylvania Journal” that features his famous “Unite or Die” snake logo on the masthead.




Benjamin Franklin's ''The Pennsylvania Journal'' newspaper, with the famous ''Unite or Die.'' masthead that became the rallying cry of the Revolutionary War. Newspaper is number 1670 from 7 December 1774, shortly after the passage of the Intolerable Acts which were enacted by the British to make an example of Massachusetts as punishment for the Boston Tea Party.

Instead of breaking the colonists, however, the Intolerable Acts led to the First Continental Congress, where the colonies effectively conspirted to join forces against the British. This theme of unity would prompt Benjamin Franklin to use his famous masthead - considered the first political cartoon - for a short period of time from 1774-1775 on ''The Pennsylvania Journal'', of which this newspaper is a rare example.

The masthead was first used by Franklin on 9 May 1754 when it was labeled ''Join, or Die'', with Franklin changing it to ''Unite or Die.'' during the Revolutionary War, also inspiring Paul Revere to use the masthead for his ''Massachusetts Spy'' newspaper. The phrase and image of a dis-united rattlesnake would prove an enduring symbol of American independence, inspiring both the phrase ''Live Free or Die'' and the ''Don't Tread on Me'' flag.

Newspaper has extensive coverage of British-colonial hostilities, including that of General Thomas Gage, the military governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, who was assigned by the British to implement the Intolerable Acts. Content reads in part, ''...all are now discontented with the conduct of General Gage...The state or importance of the American colonies is so little understood or regarded by the cunning people at the West end of the town that I am told they have universally agreed that if all our settlements there were at the bottom of the sea, it would be much better for England...It behooves every Englishman to endeavour to promote the welfare of the Americans, since on that our own have such a great dependence...By this time the Americans know their fate: That General Gage had...orders to prevent the congress at any rate, and to take those deputed into custody.

If these orders were executed, it must either set all America in a flame, or damp the small fire of liberty that exited.'' Additional content regarding the Acts includes, ''...as they convey the sense of the worthy FREEMEN of America against those oppressive measures adopted by a tyrannic ministry: success attend your worthy Countrymen--and may the assassins who attempt to invade the smallest part of the American constitution experiment the punishment allotted to traitors...May the brave Americans rise superior to all their unmerited oppressions & may they triumph over all their enemies!...'' Newspaper runs 4pp. and measures 10.125'' x 16.125''. A few editor's marks on margins, overall very good plus condition, with the masthead prominent on the front page.