Description:

Declaration of Independence
n.p., n.d.
Later Print of the Force Declaration of Independence, Great for Display
Printed document
A full-sized later print of Peter Force's Declaration of Independence.1 sheet, measuring 25.5" x 29.5", n.p., n.d. An attractive copy of Force's 1848 engraving made for inclusion in his series "American Archives" and measuring nearly the exact same size as the Force Declaration. Printed on thick quality woven paper. Beginning, "In Congress, July 4, 1776. The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America." With "W.J. Stone S.C. Washn." in the lower left corner. The document has twelve US Federal Eagle watermarks scattered throughout the sheet. With light to moderate uneven toning. Scattered foxing focused more towards the bottom edge. Slightly uneven edges with light wear. Otherwise very good condition.

The degree of toning on the document made us feel that this could possibly be from the 19th century, however, the watermarks may suggest it is as new as 80 years old. Proofs of the Force Declaration, which are also not printed on rice paper, have fetched as much as $24,000! Research on this subject is incomplete, and we are unable to guarantee a date or edition of this item.

By 1820, the original Declaration of Independence had seriously deteriorated due to inappropriate handling and storage, creating an immediate need for a facsimile reproduction. Commissioned by John Quincy Adams, William J. Stone (1798-1865) was to engrave an exact copy of the original Declaration of Independence onto a copperplate, a process which took three years to complete. There were 201 official parchment copies struck from the Stone plate, and these are identified as "Engraved by W. J. Stone for the Department of State, by order" in the upper left corner, followed by "of J. Q. Adams, Sec. of State July 4th 1824" in the upper right corner. Twenty years later, in 1843, Peter Force (1790-1868) was commissioned by Congress to print a series of books—now known as the "American Archives"—featuring the founding documents of the United States. For the occasion, the Stone engraving was removed from storage and used to produce new copies of the Declaration on rice paper. These copies were distinguished from the original by an engraving in the lower left corner "W.J. Stone S.C. Washn." Printed in 1848, each copy was folded into the first volume of the fifth series of books.

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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  • Dimensions: 25.5" x 29.5"
  • Medium: Printed document

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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.

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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.

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

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April 10, 2024 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