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Courtesy of the David M. Rubenstein Americana Collection
Courtesy of the David M. Rubenstein Americana Collection
[The Declaration of Independence] In Congress, July 4, 1776. The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America
Courtesy of the David M. Rubenstein Americana Collection

[The Declaration of Independence] In Congress, July 4, 1776. The Unanimous Declaration of the
Thirteen United States of America

Artifact IDTL 2026.1.1
Object Type Temporary Loan
Date 1823
Printer (British, 1798 - 1865)
Place MadeWashington D.C., United States of America
Medium engraved print on vellum
DimensionsH 48 1/2 in x W 43 in x D 4 3/4 in (123.2 cm x 109.2 cm x 12.1 cm)

Physical Descriptionengraved print on vellum which is a copy of the handwritten Declaration of Independence created Congress on July 4, 1776. This copy was commissioned by the Department of State and printed in Washington D.C. by William James Stone in 1823.





Historical NoteThe nationally revered Declaration of Independence bearing 56 signatures is the “engrossed” or officially handwritten version that the Continental Congress executed on parchment on August 2, 1776. It is on view at the National Archives Museum, and its faded condition was apparent even in the 1820s, when Secretary of State John Quincy Adams ordered 200 official replicas to be printed in part to preserve the authentic semblance of the original. The engraver, William J. Stone, labored for two years to create an exact-size copperplate copy, painstakingly carving every cursive pen stroke into the metal to receive ink in the printing process. Since then, the archetypal image of the Declaration known the world over has not been that of the original printing or the engrossed version, but of this, an engraved facsimile from roughly 50 years after the American Revolution. Less than 50 copies of this 1823 printing are known to still exist.
Additional Details
Credit Lineon loan courtesy of the David M. Rubenstein Americana Collection
National Archives Catalog CollectionJohn F. Kennedy Library Museum Collection (National Archives Identifier 1676934)
National Archives Catalog SeriesPolitical Memorabilia (National Archives Identifier 1677287)
Use Restriction StatusRestricted - FullyUse Restriction NoteThe use of this image and document information is fully restricted. Reproduction in any manner is not allowed.
In Collection(s)
Exhibitions
On view