Hello fellow collector
The English owner of this historic US document emailed me earlier in the week.
"If you haven't sold it by the end of the month, I'm going to take it back."
An ultimatum. And a fair one.
Because we should have sold this item.
It's a huge rarity from the early days of America. Highly sought after. And priced to sell.
But it happens sometimes. For whatever reason, extraordinary artefacts don't find buyers.
So this is your last chance. You have until Monday night. Then it goes off sale forever.
I can't say when you will have another chance to own one of these. And I doubt it will be priced as attractively as this.
The original Declaration of Independence: your example is a close relative.
Because I'm offering you:
One of the earliest examples of the Declaration of Independence.
Read on and discover just how early and rare this example is.
Want the short version? Here's what you need to know in 5 steps.
1. The Original Declaration of Independence was created in 1776
2. William Stone made the official, government-approved copper plate engraving from the original in 1823
3. Stone printed 201 copies (just 31 remain) from the copper plate
4. In 1843 Peter Force printed 500 copies of the Declaration from William Stone's copper plate (around 250 copies still exist)
5. You can buy one of these rare surviving Peter Force copies today - meaning you own of the c.280 earliest surviving genuine Declarations of Independence
Want more detail? Here you go:
Meet Peter Force.
Peter Force created your Declaration from the copper printing of the original (Image: Wikimedia Commons.
Born seven years after the Revolution, Force dedicated his life to collecting documents and materials relating to the events of that time.
He would scour auctions and booksellers, buying up everything he could find.
In 1837, he began publishing his extraordinary collection.
American Archives, as he titled the work, is an overview of the Revolution from the ground.
The Library of Congress paid the unprecedented sum of $100,000 for Force’s collection in 1867.
That’s around $1.7m today.
American Archives is a great rarity.
And Series Five, Volume I is the most valuable.
That’s because, carefully folded inside, you will find a perfect, full size (32 x 38.5 inch) print of the Declaration of Independence.
The Declaration of Independence that you can own today - note the phenomenal condition.
This is not just any print.
It is made from a copper plate that had been engraved by printer William J Stone in 1823.
This is the Declaration as it originally looked – when the ink was still fresh on the page.
In the years after the Revolution the original signed Declaration was all but destroyed.
It was regularly unrolled for visitors to pore over.
It hung, for many years, in direct sunlight in the US Patent Office.
The signatures have long since faded.
Congress tasked William Stone with making a copy.
Stone worked tirelessly for almost three years.
The result was a copper plate that produced an exact rendition of the Declaration as it was.
It is a masterpiece.
Each of the signatures is beautifully represented.
Want this Peter Force Declaration of Independence? You have until the end of the month - at most.
There’s John Hancock – making his outsize mark on history.
Samuel Adams. Thomas Jefferson. Button Gwinnett.
Stone produced just 201 copies. Only 31 are known to exist. 19 are in museums.
Today, the 12 privately-owned Stone prints are beyond the wallets of most of us. One of the 12 sold for $4.4 million last year.
Which means the Peter Force prints are, in truth, the earliest accessible copies of the Declaration available to the general public.
Today is your chance to own one.
The print I am offering you is identical to Stone's.
Force used Stone’s original copper plate.
The sole difference is that Force printed the document on to thin paper.
The better to be folded into the book.
They are hugely valuable.
It’s estimated that Force only produced 500 (or less) copies.
Of these, around half are still thought to exist. Even fewer are in this beautifully fresh state. Fewer still in private hands.
The opportunity to own one...
Of this high quality...
Still contained within its original volume...
Is unlikely to be offered to you again any time soon.
I have handled one, in the past
I sold it for £60,000 ($80,000). Yet that one was removed from the book - making it inferior to this.
Yet, remarkably, I'm able to offer you the same price today.
The condition is superb.
If you are lucky enough to secure it, treat it with great care.
This is a piece of American history with few equals.
An heirloom to be passed from generation to generation.
BUY NOW FOR JUST £60,000 ($80,000)
You can also call +44 (0)1534 639 998 to reserve.
Or email info@justcollecting.com.
Remember. The owner is coming for this. You have until Monday at the latest to buy.
Take this opportunity while you can. Thanks for reading,
