To buy, sell or consign a Peter Force Declaration of Independence, please email [email protected] or call Nate D. Sanders at (310) 440-2982.  Thank you.

Peter Force Declaration of Independence

1843 Peter Force Declaration of Independence From Original Copper Plate

A near fine 1843 Peter Force Declaration of Independence from the original copper plate by William Stone, one of the earliest copies of the Declaration of Independence. In 1823, Congress authorized the production of facsimile copies of the Peter Force Declaration of Independence for two reasons: the original was deteriorating rapidly and many of the aging original Signers sought copies. John Quincy Adams, then Secretary of State, oversaw the project and commissioned noted engraver William J. Stone to reproduce the document. Stone used a new Wet-Ink transfer process to create a copper plate from which facsimile copies were made. By wetting the original document, some of the original ink was transferred to the copperplate, which was then used for printing. Stone printed 201 copies on vellum, keeping one copy for himself (now residing in the Smithsonian) and distributing other copies to Thomas Jefferson, President James Monroe, members of Congress, surviving original Signers, various colleges and universities, and others. Of the original Peter Force Declaration of Independence 201 copies, only 31 examples are currently known to exist, 19 of which are permanently housed in museums.

In 1843, Peter Force used the original Stone copperplate to print additional copies of the Peter Force Declaration of Independence on rice paper for inclusion in his book, “American Archives”. Congress authorized up to 1,500 copies of the book to be printed, and while the actual number of copies printed is unknown, it’s generally estimated at 500. All examples of the rice paper Declaration were folded for insertion in the inside front cover of Volume I of the Fifth Series, but today, most have been removed.

The Stone and Force copies represent an irony: certainly, they allowed additional people and institutions to obtain an identical facsimile of this most beloved of all historic American documents, but Stone’s Wet-Ink transfer process contributed to the deterioration of the original signed copy of the Declaration. The parchment did not respond well to water, with the unfortunate result being that the original Declaration of Independence, on display in our nation’s capital, is in a rather sad state of preservation.

At Nate D Sanders Auctions we sold a beautiful Peter Force Declaration of Independence for $21,963. http://natedsanders.com/LotDetail.aspx?inventoryid=43555.  

We also have sold other copies from $15,000 – $30,000.  Peter Force Declaration of Independence copies are most rare when still residing in the original “American Archives” book.

1843 Peter Force Declaration of Independence From Original Copper Plate

To buy, sell or consign a Peter Force Declaration of Independence, please email [email protected] or call Nate D. Sanders at (310) 440-2982.  Thank you.