Public Domain
When a copy of the Declaration of Independence printed in July 1776 comes to auction, there is no doubt it will sell for a high price. Sotheby’s is offering one such copy in a single-lot auction on January 24. It is expected to sell for $2-$4 million dollars, which would make it one of the most valuable copies of the Declaration of Independence to sell at auction.
Sotheby's
This copy is known as the Goodspeed’s-Sang-Streeter copy, after previous owners. It is one of 10 known copies attributed to printer Robert Luist Fowle of Exeter, New Hampshire. Fowle had established his first printing office, the first in Exeter, in 1774 but left in 1778 after a counterfeiting scandal. His Tory sympathies may have been another factor.
His printing of the Declaration appeared as a broadside in the July 16, 1776, issue of the New Hampshire Gazette, making it one of the first copies available to the public. According to Kalika Sands, Sotheby’s head of books and manuscripts, this makes it “a cornerstone of American history” and “not only captures the bold spirit of a nation in its infancy but also stands as a timeless emblem of American heritage.”
The Goodspeed-Sang-Streeter copy last sold at Christie’s in April 2021 for $930,000, slightly more than its high estimate. Now, its low estimate at Sotheby’s is more than double that amount. Interest in—and value of—historical documents is increasing. Selby Kiffer, Sotheby’s senior international specialist, has noticed “a growing appreciation among collectors for these objects at auction in the past couple of years, largely attributed to the entry of new buyers into the market—some transitioning from other collecting areas—who recognize these documents as undervalued treasures given their rarity and historical significance.”
There have been many notable sales of historical documents, especially American historical documents, within the past year, and Sotheby’s has handled many of them. In June 2024, Sotheby’s held an auction of Founding Documents of the United States, where another copy of the Declaration of Independence sold for $3,360,000. This is the second-highest auction price for a copy of the Declaration of Independence; the record price is $8.1 million from a Sotheby’s auction in 2000.
With its significance to American history, rarity, and the growing appeal of historical documents, the Goodspeed’ s-Sang-Streeter copy is likely to join these sales.
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