Description:

Fabulous Scarce Reprint of Dunlap Declaration of Independence, 50+ years old

1p, measuring 15.75" x 19.5", Chicago, Ca. 1970. A facsimile broadside of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, printed by R. R. Donnelley & Sons Co. With flattened folds, toning, and foxing throughout. Minor creasing at corners, with light edge chipping.

In the early hours of July 5, 1776, Philadelphia printer John Dunlap set the Declaration of Independence in type under the supervision of Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams. He printed a small number of broadsides for distribution to leaders in the colonies, as ordered by Congress. This was the first appearance of the Declaration in print. Of these original Dunlap Broadsides, there are just 26 known survivors, some of which are fragments. We estimate that if one came to auction it would be valued in excess of $30 million.

This replica offered is the most painstakingly accurate facsimile of a Dunlap Broadside ever made. It was produced in 1970 while Donnelley was doing conservation work on an original that had been discovered in the closing inventory of Leary's Book Store in Philadelphia, and bought at auction by Ira G. Corn, Jr. and Joseph P. Driscoll. No expense was spared to create an exact replica of the original Corn/Driscoll copy. Special laid paper was made to match the original, and then die-cut to its exact size and shape, including the tiny nicks to its edges. The sheets were then tinted front and back using Donnelley's DeepTone process to exactly match the stains and subtle paper tones of the original. These sheets were then printed by letterpress to closely match Dunlap's presswork.

The purpose of this facsimile was two-fold. First, the owners of the original commissioned it so that the document's "enjoyment could be more widespread." Second, Donnelley got permission to print additional facsimiles for friends of their company "as a demonstration of the work Donnelley craftsmen do for our customers." It is uncertain how many facsimiles were printed, but probably a few hundred.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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Shipping

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Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

June 22, 2022 10:30 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000