July 4th: Declaration of Independence

July 4th: Declaration of Independence

This year we celebrate our 238th year as a nation.  In recognition of this important document, here is a timeline of copies that were sold at auction in the past, and the amount they received at the drop of the hammer.   There are several printing dates and many copies and versions were made, so for an extensive look at the history of the Declaration of Independence, please visit the National Archives.

1968 – A copy brought $408,000 in Philadelphia, then was later gifted to the Chicago Historical Society.

1982 – A copy sold through Christie’s brought $285,000.

1983 – Just a year later, Christie’s auctioned another copy for $375,000.

1991 – A copy purchased for $4 at a Pennsylvania flea market in 1989 was expected to sell at auction for up to $1 million, and ended up selling for $2.42 million instead.

2000 – The same copy from 1991 was auctioned again, several years later and this time it brought $8.4 million!

2007 – A copy printed in 1823 fetched $477,500 at auction.  The consignor found the document in a Nashville thrift store and purchased it for $2.48.  What a return on your investment!

2009 – An early printing sold at a Christie’s auction for $722,500.

2012 – Another 1823 copy sold for $597,500 at an auction held in New York.