A rare print of America’s Declaration of Independence has been found in England among files at The National Archives outside London.
Printed on the night of July 4, 1776, it is one of only 26 known copies in the world, called the Dunlap broadside prints, named after John Dunlap, the 29-year-old printer who was charged with the task of printing the document by the Congressional Committee that had drafted its language.
An American carrying out research at The National Archives found the newly discovered print in very good condition while cataloging a box of documents labeled as correspondence from American colonists intercepted by the British in the 18th century.
As of 1989, only 24 copies of the Dunlap broadside were known to exist, until a flea market shopper bought a framed painting for four dollars. While inspecting a tear in the lining behind the painting, the owner discovered a folded Dunlap broadside. It was authenticated by Sotheby’s as the 25th copy of the Declaration and sold at auction for $8.14 million.
