How much is “THE” actual Declaration of Indepedence worth? I am sure it’s going to be well over seven figures.
I doubt it has any resale value. Who would buy it? Do you want to buy some helium-filled display cases and put it up in your home?
I don’t think the National Archives has insurance on it.
There are some things that you just can’t put a monetary value on. This is one of them.
I bid one dollar !!
I’ll pay fifty dollars for it!
damn! … outbid already! … well, $50 is more than it is really worth to me so I will pass.
what is your freedom worth?
“What will you do without Freedom?”
heard this am on the radio (yea, one of the premier’ places to get quality info), that the original was written on hemp paper. any confirmation out there (yea, I also know that I could look it up, just wondering if some one has the info on hand instead) thanks.
And, currently, just across the way from the Declaration of Independence at the National Archives is a copy of the Magna Carta that is owned by Ross Perot.
There are several “original” copies of the Declaration (the one in the Archives may be the very first, I believe, but there are others that were written out at the time for display). I don’t think any of them are in private hands, but if a new one were to be discovered, it’d sell for quite a few millions. Perot paid $1.5 million for his Magna Carta (actually, his foundation’s) in 1984, and I’d suspect the Declaration would go for quite a bit more these days.
According to my little desk reference set, the Declaration of Independence was written on vellum which is “a fine-grained calfskin, lambskin, or kidskin that has been treated to serve as book pages or covers.”
As for the OP I’d say the document would fall solidly in the catagory of priceless. If, however, you were able to acquire the signatures of the signees - that’s 56 in all - I’d bet you could make a nice amount on the autograph market for some of them. I’d pay for Button Gwinnett’s myself. Who wouldn’t for a guy named Button - esp. after he went and got himself killed in a duel… but I ramble. Carry on.
About two months ago, one of 25 surviving copies of the original, printed version of the DoI sold online from Sotheby’s for $8.1 million (including a 10% fee to Sotheby’s). One could only imagine how much more the handwritten original would fetch.
According to a CNN report ( http://www.cnn.com/2000/STYLE/arts/06/29/declaration.auction/ ), this is probably the last copy that will ever come up for public sale; the rest are promised to, or are already in, institutions.
Here’s how this copy came to light:
Man, that’s an Antiques Roadshow wet dream.
Rick
Norman Lear, the founder of the organization I work for, purchased the declaration for $8.1 million, including the Sotheby’s auction charge. He was joined in this purchase by David Hayden, an internet entrepreneur. They are donating the declaration to us to take it on a patriotic roadshow next year.
They had planned on spending about $6 million, but their only other seriously competing buyer was extremely aggressive. Lear said that sometimes you just have to swallow the pill for democracy.
MR
Maeglin,
Thanks for reminding me that it was Lear who bought that copy. I had forgotten, and the CNN article I found was from just after the auction occurred, when the buyers were still anonymous. People for the American Way (I assume that’s who you work for) is a great organization. Keep up the good work.
Rick
I once came across a hand written copy of the Declaration once that was written in 1776 by the town clerk of a small New England town. It was in with all the other town records. Of course, it was not signed by all those people, but I’ve always wondered how much that would be worth.