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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25.5" x 29.5"