# The Declaration of Independence
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-declaration-of-independence/31613
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [September 1, 2000, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-declaration-of-independence/31613 "2000-09-01T06:09:53Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@MagicalSilverKey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicalSilverKey)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2000, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-declaration-of-independence/31613/1 "2000-09-01T06:09:53Z")
How much is “THE” actual Declaration of Indepedence worth? I am sure it’s going to be well over seven figures.
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### Author:  [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2000, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-declaration-of-independence/31613/2 "2000-09-01T06:28:20Z")
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.
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### Author:  [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2000, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-declaration-of-independence/31613/3 "2000-09-01T06:29:25Z")
There are some things that you just can’t put a monetary value on. This is one of them.
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### Author:  [@Lazarus7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lazarus7)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2000, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-declaration-of-independence/31613/4 "2000-09-01T08:32:56Z")
I bid one dollar !!
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### Author:  [@jabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabe)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2000, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-declaration-of-independence/31613/5 "2000-09-01T08:40:40Z")
I’ll pay fifty dollars for it!
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### Author:  [@Lazarus7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lazarus7)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2000, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-declaration-of-independence/31613/6 "2000-09-01T08:46:31Z")
damn! … outbid already! … well, $50 is more than it is really worth to me so I will pass.
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### Author:  [@Or\_n\_ry\_Oscar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Or_n_ry_Oscar)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2000, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-declaration-of-independence/31613/7 "2000-09-01T08:55:19Z")
what is your freedom worth?
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### Author:  [@Oblong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oblong)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2000, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-declaration-of-independence/31613/8 "2000-09-01T12:41:01Z")
“What will you do without Freedom?”
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### Author:  [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2000, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-declaration-of-independence/31613/9 "2000-09-01T12:43:38Z")
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.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2000, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-declaration-of-independence/31613/10 "2000-09-01T12:44:40Z")
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.
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### Author:  [@Yankee\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yankee_Blue)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2000, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-declaration-of-independence/31613/11 "2000-09-01T14:20:04Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by wring \*
> \*\*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. \*\*
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.
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### Author:  [@RickG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickG)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2000, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-declaration-of-independence/31613/12 "2000-09-01T14:53:35Z")
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/](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:
> [@](#):
>
> The document that was auctioned wasn’t discovered until 1989, when a Philadelphia man bought a $4 picture at a flea market. He found the document between a painting and the back of the frame and took it to Sotheby’s, which sold the document for $2.42 million at a live auction in June 1991.
Man, that’s an Antiques Roadshow wet dream.
Rick
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### Author:  [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2000, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-declaration-of-independence/31613/13 "2000-09-01T14:55:58Z")
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
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### Author:  [@RickG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickG)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2000, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-declaration-of-independence/31613/14 "2000-09-01T15:16:08Z")
**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
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### Author:  [@Gurd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gurd)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2000, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-declaration-of-independence/31613/15 "2000-09-01T17:01:35Z")
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.