This Rare Printing of the Declaration of Independence Could Sell for $4 Million
Made by a printer in New Hampshire, this 1776 broadside edition was created to disseminate America’s founding document to the public
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A rare broadside copy of the Declaration of Independence is heading to auction at Sotheby’s, where it’s expected to fetch between $2 and $4 million.
Dated to July 1776, this edition was created to disseminate the founding document to the public. It’s one of only ten examples of this particular printing known to have survived, “most of which are now tucked away in prestigious institutional collections,” per the Observer’s Elisa Carollo.
“This rare printing of the Declaration of Independence is a cornerstone of American history, offering a glimpse into the transformative moment when the United States declared its independence,” says Kalika Sands, Sotheby’s head of books and manuscripts for the Americas, in a statement. “[This] broadside, one of the earliest versions to reach the public, not only captures the bold spirit of a nation in its infancy but also stands as a timeless emblem of American heritage.”
After the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration on July 4, 1776, the manuscript was sent to the Congress’ official printer, John Dunlap, who “evidently spent the evening … setting the Declaration in type,” per the lot listing. These copies were distributed across the colonies, where local printers produced their own versions.
Experts say the broadside at Sotheby’s was made by one of those printers: Robert Luist Fowle of Exeter, New Hampshire.
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Though Fowle was a supporter of the British crown, he printed the Declaration in his newspaper, the New Hampshire Gazette, and also as a separate broadside. As the Portsmouth Herald’s Barbara Rimkunas wrote in 2010, “One can only imagine what was going through his mind as he set the type.”
Fowle’s edition is distinctive for several reasons, including its two-column format and use of italic type. He also misspelled the names of John Hancock and Charles Thomson, the president and secretary of the Continental Congress. He later corrected Hancock’s name, which is spelled correctly on the Sotheby’s copy. However, he never fixed Thomson’s name, which is spelled with a “p.”
This copy of the Declaration sold at Christie’s four years ago for just $930,000. But when it hits the auction block on January 24, its price tag will likely be far higher.
“There’s been a growing appreciation among collectors for these objects at auction in the past couple of years,” Selby Kiffer, Sotheby’s senior international specialist for books and manuscripts, tells Artnet’s Brian Boucher. “This influx of interest has driven competition and set several new auction records.”
If this broadside hits its estimate, it will become one of the most expensive copies of the Declaration ever sold. The most expensive version was sold in 2000 at Sotheby’s for $8.1 million. Another copy sold for $3.4 million over the summer.
