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301

Declaration of Independence. Unrecorded

Currency:USD Category:Antiques Start Price:8,750.00 USD Estimated At:17,500.00 - 20,000.00 USD
Declaration of Independence. Unrecorded
Declaration of Independence. Unrecorded variant of a printing of the Declaration from Stone's copperplate of the original document. On rice paper but never folded, and larger than the size of those bound in Peter Force's "American Archives" of 1843. The offered example measures 26 x 30 -1/2 , and is well centered, thus evidently not intended to be folded and incorporated into Force's book. Possibly a preliminary press proof, by Force, from the Stone copperplate. In 1820, working from the actual Declaration, W.J. Stone, one of the leading engravers of the time, began the laborious task of creating a copperplate image, working from the actual document. Stone was said to have used a wet transfer process. Done at the request of then-Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, copies would be given to Signers still living, including Thomas Jefferson, and Lafayette, Governors, and other officials. In 1823, the plate finally finished, he prepared about 200 copies of the cherished document on parchment. (Of these, only 31 are extant.) For the next twenty years, the copperplate engraving, now the only mirror of the deteriorating Declaration, lay in the custody of the State Department. In 1843, Peter Force was allowed to borrow this copperplate to print additional Declarations, this time on rice paper, for inclusion with his Congressionally-authorized book American Archives. It is generally held that all of these rice paper Declarations were trimmed and folded, for placement into the book. The present example is untrimmed ... unfolded ... centered ... and slightly oversize. "Although the Declaration was printed in most states after its adoption and many Americans were aware of its existence, the physical appearance of the document remained a mystery."--National Park Service. Stone's copperplate - from which this example was struck - was the first actual representation of the Declaration, and acquainted America with John Hancock's signature. Stone's name in lower left corner as engraver. Light waterstain, about 3 -1/2 x 1 6", on right portion, not affecting readability; light foxing, about ten small spots in all, of which one touches one name and one touches a letter of another name; and a small, curious blind "V" slit of unknown antiquity, through "Edward" of Rutledge, perhaps a stray blemish from handling in Force's pressroom or a pressman's marking as a reminder to check that spot on the actual plate. A folded example of a "Stone/Force Declaration" is infrequently encountered on the market and commands a substantial sum. This variant example larger, centered, and never folded is a wonderful opportunity to possess a striking, variant example of the most important document in American history.
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