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Declaration of Independence sells for $597,500 in Dallas
The recently discovered printing of the US Declaration of Independence beat its estimate by an impressive 70%
Paul Fraser Collectibles, Thursday 12 April 2012
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An 1823 copy of the Declaration of Independence sold for $597,500 yesterday (April 11, 2012) to an anonymous East coast collector.
The copy was produced by William Stone, who was commissioned to produce the item as a celebration of the 45th anniversary of the United States.
William Stone's Declaration of Independence
The auction house's Director of Manuscripts, Sandra Palomino commented, "In 1820, English-born engraver William J. Stone of Washington, D.C. was commissioned to produce an exact copy of the original Declaration of Independence onto a copperplate, a process which took him three years to complete,"
At the time of manufacture, 200 copies were struck from the copperplate with an additional copy for Stone. 31 of the manuscripts still survive, with only 12 in the hands of private collectors.
She added "It was almost 45 years after the Revolution, only six years after the War of 1812 and smack dab in the middle of President James Monroe's 'Era of Good Feelings', the most significant period of growth in the young nation's history up to that point. Interest in the Declaration surged."
Estimates for early American manuscripts were continually exceeded during the auction, with a presentation copy of Thomas Jefferson's A Manual of Parliamentary Practice reaching $113,375. The estimate was just $30,000-$50,000, showing an impressive 126.7% increase.
Paul Fraser Collectibles has this Declaration of Independence copy made by Peter Force, 20 years after the William Stone copperplate was placed in storage. We also offer a lottery ticket signed by President George
Washington for those looking to invest in early American history.
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Images: Heritage Auctions
