US Independence (from 1765 to 1777)
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
Not including Colonial furniture.
See also : Political document Textiles
Chronology : 1770-1779 1776
Not including Colonial furniture.
See also : Political document Textiles
Chronology : 1770-1779 1776
1765 Stamp Act Defiance Placard
2024 SOLD for $ 4.5M by Christie's
The British victory in the French and Indian wars near doubled the British national debt. Expecting the Americans to contribute, the British parliament emitted on March 22, 1765 a Duties for American Colonies Act. The new tax required that many printed materials in the colonies were to be produced on paper from London that would include an embossed revenue stamp. It was popularly known as the Stamp Act.
The defeated French were no more a menace and many Americans disagreed to maintain a British military force on their continent at their expense without a local political representation.
The implementation was scheduled for November 1 by the British. The protests became violent, reaching the streets in Boston, Providence and Newport in August.
An illegal Stamp Act congress met in New York City from October 7 to 25 to petition the King and Parliament. The first shipment of stamps for New York and Connecticut arrived at New York harbor on October 23. A huge angry crowd gathered. Manuscript placards appeared throughout the city warning that "the first man that either distributes or makes use of stamped paper let him take care of his house, person, and effects."
One of these defiance placards is titled Pro Patria and signed by a threatening anonymous Vox Populi also reading We Dare. This page on laid paper 156 x 192 mm was inscribed on the recto by two of its owners. It was sold for $ 4.5M by Christie's on January 17, 2024, lot 98.
Only one other example is surviving. It had been picked by the governor of New York for informing the Colonial Office in London, accompanied by a letter stating ‘The night after the ship arrived, papers were pasted upon the doors of every public office, and at the corners of the streets, one [of] which I enclose – all of them in the same words. His Majesty’s Ministers are the best judges of the means to curb this licentious factious spirit.’ It is kept by the British National Archives.
Vehement protests continued through the rest of the year. The Stamp Act was repealed in March 1766.
The defeated French were no more a menace and many Americans disagreed to maintain a British military force on their continent at their expense without a local political representation.
The implementation was scheduled for November 1 by the British. The protests became violent, reaching the streets in Boston, Providence and Newport in August.
An illegal Stamp Act congress met in New York City from October 7 to 25 to petition the King and Parliament. The first shipment of stamps for New York and Connecticut arrived at New York harbor on October 23. A huge angry crowd gathered. Manuscript placards appeared throughout the city warning that "the first man that either distributes or makes use of stamped paper let him take care of his house, person, and effects."
One of these defiance placards is titled Pro Patria and signed by a threatening anonymous Vox Populi also reading We Dare. This page on laid paper 156 x 192 mm was inscribed on the recto by two of its owners. It was sold for $ 4.5M by Christie's on January 17, 2024, lot 98.
Only one other example is surviving. It had been picked by the governor of New York for informing the Colonial Office in London, accompanied by a letter stating ‘The night after the ship arrived, papers were pasted upon the doors of every public office, and at the corners of the streets, one [of] which I enclose – all of them in the same words. His Majesty’s Ministers are the best judges of the means to curb this licentious factious spirit.’ It is kept by the British National Archives.
Vehement protests continued through the rest of the year. The Stamp Act was repealed in March 1766.
July 4-5, 1776 The Dunlap Broadside
2000 SOLD for $ 8.1M by Sotheby's
The Dunlap broadside is the earliest surviving example of the final text of the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America.
On July 4, 1776 the original manuscript of the Declaration was signed by John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress and especially of this memorable session, and by Charles Thomson, secretary of the Congress. From then they had to act in a hurry to propagate the information in the thirteen colonies and to the army. They had no time left for preparing a clean copy of that draft amended during the debates or a fortiori to have it signed by the delegates who have just approved its text.
The manuscript is forwarded to John Dunlap, a printer operating in Philadelphia who is the usual contractor for official Congress documents. The broadside is printed during the night of July 4 to 5. The manuscript no longer matters : it is lost in this operation. Hancock organizes the distribution of the document while urging each recipient to disclose the text by any appropriate means.
The quantity of copies of the Dunlap broadside is not known although the figure of 200 seems fair. 25 copies survive. Almost all are in US institutions or museums.
One of them was found in 1989 by a bargain hunter in the backside of the frame of a torn painting that he had just bought. It was sold for $ 8.1M by Sotheby's on June 29, 2000, a record at the time for an Internet auction.
The buyer was the television producer Norman Lear supported by Internet entrepreneur David Hayden. Lear is not a collector. He immediately organized the Declaration of Independence Road Trip, a non-profit organization committed for displaying this historic document to as many people as possible through tours from city to city.
The Dunlap Broadside is the first printed edition of the Declaration of Independence, produced by Philadelphia printer John Dunlap, the official printer to the Continental Congress.
On July 4, 1776 the original manuscript of the Declaration was signed by John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress and especially of this memorable session, and by Charles Thomson, secretary of the Congress. From then they had to act in a hurry to propagate the information in the thirteen colonies and to the army. They had no time left for preparing a clean copy of that draft amended during the debates or a fortiori to have it signed by the delegates who have just approved its text.
The manuscript is forwarded to John Dunlap, a printer operating in Philadelphia who is the usual contractor for official Congress documents. The broadside is printed during the night of July 4 to 5. The manuscript no longer matters : it is lost in this operation. Hancock organizes the distribution of the document while urging each recipient to disclose the text by any appropriate means.
The quantity of copies of the Dunlap broadside is not known although the figure of 200 seems fair. 25 copies survive. Almost all are in US institutions or museums.
One of them was found in 1989 by a bargain hunter in the backside of the frame of a torn painting that he had just bought. It was sold for $ 8.1M by Sotheby's on June 29, 2000, a record at the time for an Internet auction.
The buyer was the television producer Norman Lear supported by Internet entrepreneur David Hayden. Lear is not a collector. He immediately organized the Declaration of Independence Road Trip, a non-profit organization committed for displaying this historic document to as many people as possible through tours from city to city.
The Dunlap Broadside is the first printed edition of the Declaration of Independence, produced by Philadelphia printer John Dunlap, the official printer to the Continental Congress.
- Production: On the evening of July 4, 1776 (after adoption that day), and into the early morning of July 5, Dunlap printed an estimated 100–200 copies from a manuscript (likely Thomas Jefferson's fair copy, authenticated by John Hancock and Charles Thomson). These broadsides were single-sheet posters distributed to the 13 colonies, Continental Army commanders, and public places for reading aloud and posting.
- Format: Large broadside (typically ~15–19 x 20–24 inches), single column of text in two sizes of type, headed "In Congress, July 4, 1776. A Declaration by the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress assembled." It ends with "Signed by Order and in Behalf of the Congress, JOHN HANCOCK, President. Attest. CHARLES THOMSON, Secretary." (No actual signatures; names added later in engrossed parchment version.)
- Rarity: Approximately 26 surviving copies known today (some fragmentary or in institutional collections; e.g., National Archives, Library of Congress [two copies], Yale's Beinecke, University of Virginia [two copies]). Three are in British repositories.
- Significance: The first public dissemination of the Declaration—preceding local reprintings like the Exeter Broadside. It announced independence amid the Revolutionary War, with copies rushed by horseback for public proclamation (e.g., first public reading July 8 in Philadelphia).
- Auction/Market Context: Extremely rare on the private market; last major sale was a Dunlap copy at Sotheby's in 2000 for $8.14 million. No recent (2025–2026) Dunlap auctions noted in current records, though related early broadsides (e.g., Exeter at Christie's Jan 2025 ~$5.7M, Goldin May 2026 offering) reflect surging demand tied to the U.S. semiquincentennial in 2026. A pristine Dunlap would likely exceed $20–30M+ today if offered.
July 5-6, 1776 Hancock Letter to Georgia
2022 SOLD for $ 1.9M by Freeman's
John Hancock, a very wealthy New England merchant, was particularly penalized by the new tax laws of the colonial power. His involvement in the bloody events of the resistance in Boston made him popular with the patriots. He became president of the second Continental Congress, opened in May 1775, after a health breakdown of the initially appointed president.
The Congress debates the strategy concerning England : equitable reconciliation or separation. The supporters of independence form a committee in charge of preparing a declaration which is written by Jefferson.
Hancock chairs the session of July 4, 1776 during which the delegates accept the text of the committee of the independence. Now time is running out. John Adams will say later : "We were all in haste". The document prepared by Jefferson is signed by Hancock and attested by the Congress secretary, Charles Thomson. It is immediately supplied to John Dunlap, the official printer of the documents of the Congress.
During the night of July 4 to 5, Dunlap prints a broadcast in approximately 200 copies. To accompany the broadcast, Hancock prepares a letter encouraging its public proclamation. The letter is written by a clerk in thirteen copies on July 5 and 6, and mailed to either a personality or a committee in each of the thirteen colonies. A similar shipment was made to two war leaders including Washington.
Each letter is signed by Hancock. His powerful signature, very legible and underlined with a small monogram, is still proverbial in the United States.
On January 27, 2020, Sotheby's sold for $ 1.04M one of the letters signed by Hancock, lot 2271.
The name of the recipient state has been erased. It is not one of the nine letters to states whose addressee has been identified. By elimination, Sotheby's considered that it is the announcement of the Declaration by Hancock for use in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina or Virginia. Five letters from the nine for which the recipient is documented are currently lost.
The letter went to Freeman's on May 4, 2022. It is now established that the cancelled state was Georgia. It is known in local history that the mail arrived on August 8 in Savannah, the seat of Georgia's revolutionary government. It was sold for $ 1.9M, lot 11.
Delegates were not invited to sign beside Hancock and Thomson during the July 4 session. The original manuscript is lost, possibly destroyed by Dunlap after use. On July 19, the Congress decides to prepare a new manuscript copy on parchment to receive all the signatures.
The Congress debates the strategy concerning England : equitable reconciliation or separation. The supporters of independence form a committee in charge of preparing a declaration which is written by Jefferson.
Hancock chairs the session of July 4, 1776 during which the delegates accept the text of the committee of the independence. Now time is running out. John Adams will say later : "We were all in haste". The document prepared by Jefferson is signed by Hancock and attested by the Congress secretary, Charles Thomson. It is immediately supplied to John Dunlap, the official printer of the documents of the Congress.
During the night of July 4 to 5, Dunlap prints a broadcast in approximately 200 copies. To accompany the broadcast, Hancock prepares a letter encouraging its public proclamation. The letter is written by a clerk in thirteen copies on July 5 and 6, and mailed to either a personality or a committee in each of the thirteen colonies. A similar shipment was made to two war leaders including Washington.
Each letter is signed by Hancock. His powerful signature, very legible and underlined with a small monogram, is still proverbial in the United States.
On January 27, 2020, Sotheby's sold for $ 1.04M one of the letters signed by Hancock, lot 2271.
The name of the recipient state has been erased. It is not one of the nine letters to states whose addressee has been identified. By elimination, Sotheby's considered that it is the announcement of the Declaration by Hancock for use in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina or Virginia. Five letters from the nine for which the recipient is documented are currently lost.
The letter went to Freeman's on May 4, 2022. It is now established that the cancelled state was Georgia. It is known in local history that the mail arrived on August 8 in Savannah, the seat of Georgia's revolutionary government. It was sold for $ 1.9M, lot 11.
Delegates were not invited to sign beside Hancock and Thomson during the July 4 session. The original manuscript is lost, possibly destroyed by Dunlap after use. On July 19, the Congress decides to prepare a new manuscript copy on parchment to receive all the signatures.
John Hancock's Role in the American Revolution
John Hancock (1737–1793), a wealthy Boston merchant and one of America's Founding Fathers, emerged as a prominent Patriot leader and key figure in the push for independence.
John Hancock's Signature is one of the most iconic in American history, primarily due to its prominent placement and unusually large size on the engrossed (official parchment) copy of the United States Declaration of Independence.
John Hancock (1737–1793), a wealthy Boston merchant and president of the Second Continental Congress, was the first delegate to sign the document on August 2, 1776 (after its adoption on July 4). As presiding officer, he placed his bold, flamboyant signature in the center below the text, making it stand out dramatically from the smaller signatures of the other 55 signers.
His signature features elegant, flowing cursive with a distinctive elongated "J," a looped "H," and sweeping flourishes—characteristic of 18th-century formal penmanship but executed on a grand scale (several times larger than most others). This has made "put your John Hancock" a common American idiom meaning "sign your name."
A popular legend claims Hancock signed so large to defy King George III, declaring something like "I guess King George will be able to read that without his spectacles!" However, this anecdote is apocryphal—it originated years later and has no contemporary evidence. Hancock's large signature was likely due to his position (as the first and most prominent signer) and his personal style, which had evolved into a more elaborate form by his adulthood.
The signature's fame endures: it symbolizes defiance and patriotism, appears on replicas and facsimiles, and inspires everything from financial branding (e.g., John Hancock company) to colloquial expressions. Authentic Hancock autographs remain highly valuable in the collectibles market due to their rarity and historical weight.
John Hancock (1737–1793), a wealthy Boston merchant and one of America's Founding Fathers, emerged as a prominent Patriot leader and key figure in the push for independence.
- Early Resistance (1760s–1770s): As one of the colonies' richest men, Hancock used his fortune and influence to oppose British policies like the Stamp Act, Townshend Acts, and Tea Act. The 1768 seizure of his sloop Liberty by British customs officials (on smuggling charges) sparked riots and boosted his popularity among Patriots. He supported boycotts, joined resistance efforts with Samuel Adams, and became a target of British authorities.
- Leadership in Massachusetts: Hancock presided over the Massachusetts Provincial Congress (1774–1775) and served on its Committee of Safety. In April 1775, British troops marched to arrest him and Adams in Lexington (prompting Paul Revere's famous ride). The pair fled, and the Battles of Lexington and Concord followed, marking the war's start.
- Continental Congress Presidency (1775–1777): Elected unanimously as president of the Second Continental Congress in May 1775, Hancock led the body through pivotal moments: organizing the Continental Army (nominating George Washington as commander), funding the war effort, forming the Marine Committee ( precursor to the U.S. Navy), adopting the Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776), and overseeing its signing. As the first signer, his famously large signature symbolized defiance and became legendary (though the "read without spectacles" quip is apocryphal).
- Broader Contributions: Hancock risked his wealth to support troops, raise funds, and aid the revolutionary cause. He signed the Articles of Confederation and, post-war, influenced Massachusetts' ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1788.
John Hancock's Signature is one of the most iconic in American history, primarily due to its prominent placement and unusually large size on the engrossed (official parchment) copy of the United States Declaration of Independence.
John Hancock (1737–1793), a wealthy Boston merchant and president of the Second Continental Congress, was the first delegate to sign the document on August 2, 1776 (after its adoption on July 4). As presiding officer, he placed his bold, flamboyant signature in the center below the text, making it stand out dramatically from the smaller signatures of the other 55 signers.
His signature features elegant, flowing cursive with a distinctive elongated "J," a looped "H," and sweeping flourishes—characteristic of 18th-century formal penmanship but executed on a grand scale (several times larger than most others). This has made "put your John Hancock" a common American idiom meaning "sign your name."
A popular legend claims Hancock signed so large to defy King George III, declaring something like "I guess King George will be able to read that without his spectacles!" However, this anecdote is apocryphal—it originated years later and has no contemporary evidence. Hancock's large signature was likely due to his position (as the first and most prominent signer) and his personal style, which had evolved into a more elaborate form by his adulthood.
The signature's fame endures: it symbolizes defiance and patriotism, appears on replicas and facsimiles, and inspires everything from financial branding (e.g., John Hancock company) to colloquial expressions. Authentic Hancock autographs remain highly valuable in the collectibles market due to their rarity and historical weight.
Join our US sister saleroom, Freeman's today, 04 May at 3pm BST (10am EST) for their Books and Manuscripts auction led by an extraordinary letter signed by John Hancock! Learn more: https://t.co/2ZxCmCP6bK pic.twitter.com/UAD8BBAvmg
— Lyon & Turnbull (@LyonandTurnbull) May 4, 2022
#AuctionUpdate: A manuscript letter signed by John Hancock announcing the adoption of the Declaration of Independence achieves $1 million, surpassing its $800,000 high estimate. #SothebysBooks pic.twitter.com/GD6asRluGg
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) January 27, 2020
July 11, 1776 New York Newspaper-Broadside
2024 SOLD for $ 3.36M by Sotheby's
The text of the Declaration of Independence was copied from the Dunlap broadside for dissemination of the information. Within one week Philadelphia had the first newspaper printing, the first printing in a book and the first printing in German language. Baltimore, where Dunlap had an office, and New York followed.
On July 9 the keen patriot printer John Holt was commissioned by the New York Convention to print 500 copies of the Declaration.
Before releasing the official job, Holt included on July 11 the Declaration with the same setting of type as a full page printing in his local gazette double titled The New York Journal and The General Advertiser, He did it in a special double column format as an incentive to use it as a broadside at home. In an editorial in the same issue, the Declaration was commented as “the most important event that ever happened in the American Colonies”.
Five copies survive of Holt's newspaper-broadside page. Only one is in private hand. That four page 47 x 30 cm bifolium was sold for $ 3.36M from a lower estimate of $ 2.5M by Sotheby's on June 26, 2024, lot 1.
War was raging. Holt lastingly suspended his journal in the next month at the outbreak of the Battle of Long Island.
On July 9 the keen patriot printer John Holt was commissioned by the New York Convention to print 500 copies of the Declaration.
Before releasing the official job, Holt included on July 11 the Declaration with the same setting of type as a full page printing in his local gazette double titled The New York Journal and The General Advertiser, He did it in a special double column format as an incentive to use it as a broadside at home. In an editorial in the same issue, the Declaration was commented as “the most important event that ever happened in the American Colonies”.
Five copies survive of Holt's newspaper-broadside page. Only one is in private hand. That four page 47 x 30 cm bifolium was sold for $ 3.36M from a lower estimate of $ 2.5M by Sotheby's on June 26, 2024, lot 1.
War was raging. Holt lastingly suspended his journal in the next month at the outbreak of the Battle of Long Island.
July 16, 1776 Exeter Broadside
Intro
The disclosure of the text of the Declaration of Independence in the thirteen founding states is essential for the success of the American Revolution. It uses two media : newspapers, from July 9, 1776, and broadsides. The printing of the latter did not need to be dated.
After the original broadside prepared by Dunlap and distributed on Hancock's orders, fourteen local editions of broadsides are known, including five without printer identification. The comparison with newspaper impressions allows an attribution. Beyond the number of the columns of the text, experts look for typographic variations.
An anonymous 50 x 40 cm two column broadside was printed in conformance with the New Hampshire Gazette also known as Exeter Morning Chronicle in its July 16 issue. It had two print runs, before and after correcting a mis-spelling on Hancock's name. A mis-spelling of Thomson as Thompson, also present on the Salem broadside, was not corrected.
The Exeter broadside (sometimes called the "July 1776 Exeter Broadside") is a local reprint made in Exeter, New Hampshire.
Printer/Location
Dunlap : John Dunlap, Philadelphia
Exeter : Robert Luist Fowle, Exeter, NH
Date
Dunlap : July 4–5, 1776
Exeter : July 16, 1776
Status
Dunlap : First/official printing by Congress order
Exeter : Local reprint (one of many regional editions)
Font/Type
Dunlap : Standard roman type
Exeter : Italic font
Layout
Dunlap : Two columns (typical broadside format)
Exeter : Two columns
Text Differences
Dunlap : Baseline version; minor variations possible in later prints
Exeter : Very similar; likely copied directly from a Dunlap copy, with potential small typesetting differences (e.g., punctuation, capitalization)
Rarity
Dunlap : ~26 surviving copies
Exeter : ~10 surviving copies
Historical Role
Dunlap : Primary dissemination tool; sent nationwide
Exeter : Local response to news arriving in NH; public reading in Exeter based on Dunlap copy
Note: The famous Dunlap broadside associated with Exeter today (displayed at the American Independence Museum there) is an original Dunlap copy that arrived in 1776 and was rediscovered in 1985—not the local Exeter reprint.
Both represent the urgent spread of the Declaration in summer 1776, with the Dunlap as the authoritative first printing and the Exeter as an example of how quickly local printers reproduced it for their communities. Early printings like these often have slight variations due to hand-setting type.
After the original broadside prepared by Dunlap and distributed on Hancock's orders, fourteen local editions of broadsides are known, including five without printer identification. The comparison with newspaper impressions allows an attribution. Beyond the number of the columns of the text, experts look for typographic variations.
An anonymous 50 x 40 cm two column broadside was printed in conformance with the New Hampshire Gazette also known as Exeter Morning Chronicle in its July 16 issue. It had two print runs, before and after correcting a mis-spelling on Hancock's name. A mis-spelling of Thomson as Thompson, also present on the Salem broadside, was not corrected.
The Exeter broadside (sometimes called the "July 1776 Exeter Broadside") is a local reprint made in Exeter, New Hampshire.
- Printer: Robert Luist Fowle (printer of the New Hampshire Gazette; interestingly, a Loyalist who nonetheless printed it to meet public demand).
- Date: July 16, 1776 (coinciding with the arrival of a Dunlap broadside in Exeter, which was publicly read that day by John Taylor Gilman).
- Purpose: Local dissemination; Fowle reprinted the text both as a broadside and in his newspaper, likely using the arriving Dunlap copy as the source text.
- Format: Single-sheet broadside, set in two columns (like the Dunlap), but using italic font rather than roman type.
- Content: Essentially the same text as the Dunlap (no signers listed), with possible minor variations in punctuation, capitalization, or typesetting errors common in 18th-century reprints.
- Surviving copies: About 10 known (extremely rare; recent auction examples have sold for millions).
- Significance: One of about 13 contemporary broadside editions printed locally across colonies in July 1776 to satisfy demand after Dunlap copies arrived.
Printer/Location
Dunlap : John Dunlap, Philadelphia
Exeter : Robert Luist Fowle, Exeter, NH
Date
Dunlap : July 4–5, 1776
Exeter : July 16, 1776
Status
Dunlap : First/official printing by Congress order
Exeter : Local reprint (one of many regional editions)
Font/Type
Dunlap : Standard roman type
Exeter : Italic font
Layout
Dunlap : Two columns (typical broadside format)
Exeter : Two columns
Text Differences
Dunlap : Baseline version; minor variations possible in later prints
Exeter : Very similar; likely copied directly from a Dunlap copy, with potential small typesetting differences (e.g., punctuation, capitalization)
Rarity
Dunlap : ~26 surviving copies
Exeter : ~10 surviving copies
Historical Role
Dunlap : Primary dissemination tool; sent nationwide
Exeter : Local response to news arriving in NH; public reading in Exeter based on Dunlap copy
Note: The famous Dunlap broadside associated with Exeter today (displayed at the American Independence Museum there) is an original Dunlap copy that arrived in 1776 and was rediscovered in 1985—not the local Exeter reprint.
Both represent the urgent spread of the Declaration in summer 1776, with the Dunlap as the authoritative first printing and the Exeter as an example of how quickly local printers reproduced it for their communities. Early printings like these often have slight variations due to hand-setting type.
1
2026 SOLD for $ 5.7M by Christie's
A copy of the Exeter broadside was sold for $ 5.7M from a lower estimate of $ 3M by Christie's on January 23, 2026, lot 205. The photo in the catalogue assesses the correct spelling of Hancock, meaning that is is from the second print run.
Compare with another second print run sold by Sotheby's on January 24, 2025, lot 1. The other one (first or second print run ? to be checked) for sale by Christie's on January 23, 2026, lot 205.
Exeter Broadside Variants (States)
The Exeter broadside (also called the Essex broadside), printed by Robert Luist Fowle in Exeter, New Hampshire, in July 1776, exists in two known states (typographical variants from the same setting of type, with corrections made during the print run):
The Two Copies in Question
Provenance
2021-2025 sales : Goodspeed-Sang-Streeter copy (previously sold at Christie's in April 2021 for $930,000)
2026 : A different copy (likely another private or newly consigned example)
State
Both : Second state : corrected "Hancock"; "Thompson" retained)
Condition Highlights
2021-2025 sales : Folio (495 x 392 mm), some marginal loss, creases, tissue repairs; arithmetical calculations on verso
Sale Result/Estimate
2021-2025 sales : Sold for $2,400,000 (including premium)
2026 : Upcoming
Significance
2021-2025 sales : One of only three Exeter copies at auction in the last century; strong market appreciation since 2021 sale
2026 : Represents continued private-market availability; potentially comparable value
These two copies are distinct examples of the same rare broadside edition (one of ~10 total survivors, mostly in institutions like the Library of Congress and American Antiquarian Society). The primary difference between any two copies would be:
Compare with another second print run sold by Sotheby's on January 24, 2025, lot 1. The other one (first or second print run ? to be checked) for sale by Christie's on January 23, 2026, lot 205.
Exeter Broadside Variants (States)
The Exeter broadside (also called the Essex broadside), printed by Robert Luist Fowle in Exeter, New Hampshire, in July 1776, exists in two known states (typographical variants from the same setting of type, with corrections made during the print run):
- First state (earlier printing):
- Misspells John Hancock as "Hacock".
- Misspells Charles Thomson as "Thompson" (with a "p").
- Only 2 known surviving copies (both institutional).
- Second state (later printing, corrected):
- Corrects "Hacock" to "Hancock".
- Retains the misspelling "Thompson" (never corrected).
- Most surviving copies (about 8 of the total 10 known).
The Two Copies in Question
Provenance
2021-2025 sales : Goodspeed-Sang-Streeter copy (previously sold at Christie's in April 2021 for $930,000)
2026 : A different copy (likely another private or newly consigned example)
State
Both : Second state : corrected "Hancock"; "Thompson" retained)
Condition Highlights
2021-2025 sales : Folio (495 x 392 mm), some marginal loss, creases, tissue repairs; arithmetical calculations on verso
Sale Result/Estimate
2021-2025 sales : Sold for $2,400,000 (including premium)
2026 : Upcoming
Significance
2021-2025 sales : One of only three Exeter copies at auction in the last century; strong market appreciation since 2021 sale
2026 : Represents continued private-market availability; potentially comparable value
These two copies are distinct examples of the same rare broadside edition (one of ~10 total survivors, mostly in institutions like the Library of Congress and American Antiquarian Society). The primary difference between any two copies would be:
- Condition and provenance (individual wear, repairs, historical annotations, or ownership history).
- Minor variations in inking or paper due to 18th-century hand-printing.
2
2025 SOLD for $ 2.4M by Sotheby's
A fine copy from the second print run was sold for $ 930K by Christie's on April 22, 2021, lot 6 and for $ 2.4M by Sotheby's on January 24, 2025, lot 1. It keeps sharp corners and the damages by the folds have been repaired. Some soils are present in the obverse and the reverse had been used by an unidentified hand for arithmetics and pen trials.
Another copy, also from the final state, was sold for $ 990K by Christie's on January 22, 2021, lot 315. It had long belonged to the family of a New Hampshire judge who was probably its official recipient. Three edges and three corners are broken and two large burns affect the text on the vertical fold.
Another copy, also from the final state, was sold for $ 990K by Christie's on January 22, 2021, lot 315. It had long belonged to the family of a New Hampshire judge who was probably its official recipient. Three edges and three corners are broken and two large burns affect the text on the vertical fold.
2026 for sale by Goldin, bidding from May 8
Current Offering: Goldin Auctions, May 8, 2026 (Lot 1000)
This copy of the July 1776 Exeter Broadside is currently offered for sale by Goldin Auctions as lot 1000 in their USA 250 Auction (a sale commemorating the United States' semiquincentennial). The auction date is May 8, 2026. It is framed in a 32-by-36-inch display and was professionally conserved in 2025 by Washington Conservation Studio (with report available upon request). The text remains fully legible across all columns despite its age. Bidding starts at $1,000,000, with the current high bid (including buyer's premium) reported at $1,220,000 as of early March 2026. This broadside is highlighted as one of the most significant historical documents to reach auction in recent decades, symbolizing a direct link to America's founding amid the Revolutionary War era, when such prints were publicly displayed in churches, taverns, and squares to rally support.
Provenance
This exemplar traces to the distinguished Goodspeed-Sang-Streeter lineage:
This copy of the July 1776 Exeter Broadside is currently offered for sale by Goldin Auctions as lot 1000 in their USA 250 Auction (a sale commemorating the United States' semiquincentennial). The auction date is May 8, 2026. It is framed in a 32-by-36-inch display and was professionally conserved in 2025 by Washington Conservation Studio (with report available upon request). The text remains fully legible across all columns despite its age. Bidding starts at $1,000,000, with the current high bid (including buyer's premium) reported at $1,220,000 as of early March 2026. This broadside is highlighted as one of the most significant historical documents to reach auction in recent decades, symbolizing a direct link to America's founding amid the Revolutionary War era, when such prints were publicly displayed in churches, taverns, and squares to rally support.
Provenance
This exemplar traces to the distinguished Goodspeed-Sang-Streeter lineage:
- Acquired from Goodspeed's Book Shop (Boston) by Thomas W. Streeter (1883–1965), a noted Americana collector and New Hampshire native.
- Sold in Streeter's collection at Sotheby Parke-Bernet, April 19, 1967 (lot 784).
- Subsequently in the collection of Philip David Sang (1902–1975) and Elsie Sang, prominent Chicago collectors focused on American freedom documents; sold at Sotheby's, April 26, 1978 (lot 83).
- It reappeared in private hands and was a highlight when offered again in the 21st century (specific interim ownership not detailed publicly).
1776 Salem Broadside
1
July 16 four column print
2023 SOLD for $ 2.9M by Heritage
The printed disclosure of the Declaration of Independence of the United States takes the forms of official or private posters and of spontaneous newspaper inserts. The posters have the format of broadsides, intended to be visible on walls for a few days. They are also read to the troops and to the public.
The official broadside of the Congress is printed by Dunlap in Philadelphia in the early morning of July 5, 1776 and passed on to the delegates for disclosure in the thirteen colonies without waiting for the ratification. This document is directly or indirectly the source of all early publications of the Declaration, as broadsides and in the columns of magazines, beginning in Philadelphia, Baltimore and New York.
After the original broadside prepared by Dunlap and distributed on Hancock's orders, fourteen local editions of broadsides are known, including five without printer identification. The comparison with newspaper impressions allows an attribution. Experts look for the number of columns and for typographic variations.
The Declaration reaches Boston on July 13 and Watertown three days later.
Ezekiel Russell was the printer of the only newspaper in Salem, The American Gazette. The Declaration is published in the No. 5 of this new weekly paper on 16 July in four narrow columns spreading over two pages. During the composition of that issue the same four columns are printed as a 43 x 36 cm broadside. Six copies are known.
A copy of the four column broadside was sold for $ 2.9M by Heritage on July 8, 2023, lot 42010.
The official broadside of the Congress is printed by Dunlap in Philadelphia in the early morning of July 5, 1776 and passed on to the delegates for disclosure in the thirteen colonies without waiting for the ratification. This document is directly or indirectly the source of all early publications of the Declaration, as broadsides and in the columns of magazines, beginning in Philadelphia, Baltimore and New York.
After the original broadside prepared by Dunlap and distributed on Hancock's orders, fourteen local editions of broadsides are known, including five without printer identification. The comparison with newspaper impressions allows an attribution. Experts look for the number of columns and for typographic variations.
The Declaration reaches Boston on July 13 and Watertown three days later.
Ezekiel Russell was the printer of the only newspaper in Salem, The American Gazette. The Declaration is published in the No. 5 of this new weekly paper on 16 July in four narrow columns spreading over two pages. During the composition of that issue the same four columns are printed as a 43 x 36 cm broadside. Six copies are known.
A copy of the four column broadside was sold for $ 2.9M by Heritage on July 8, 2023, lot 42010.
National Treasure: One of the Earliest July 1776 Broadside Editions of the Declaration of Independence Will Make #History at Heritage.https://t.co/UwQuPuoRqd pic.twitter.com/jGnjrr4f8c
— Heritage Auctions (@HeritageAuction) June 12, 2023
2
July 16 four column print
2022 SOLD for $ 2.1M by Christie's
A four column copy of the Salem broadside was sold for $ 2.1M from a lower estimate of $ 1M by Christie's on May 25, 2022, lot 50. Another example from the same run was sold for $ 570K by Sotheby's on June 17, 2010, lot 557.
3
July 23 authorized Massachusetts broadside
2022 SOLD for $ 2.23M by Sotheby's
The executive Council of Massachusetts meeting in Watertown decides on July 17 an edition of the broadside for use by religion ministers. It adds in post scriptum a requirement to read the text aloud after the Divine service of the very first Lord's Day following the receipt of the document.
This edition by order of the Massachusetts Council is commissioned to the official printer of the colony, Ezekiel Russell, established in Salem. Very similar to the Dunlap edition, it is typed in a single broad column.
On July 23 the No. 6 of The American Gazette is devoted to the Declaration as authorized by the Council, with a few words apologizing to readers for that exclusive content. The authorized broadside 50 x 40 cm on laid paper was certainly printed simultaneously.
A 50 x 40 cm copy on laid paper of the authorized Massachusetts broadside had been shipped to Revd Mr Stone in Southboro, according to a marking in the reverse. The charges against King George III have been checked off with horizontal rules, arguably by the Reverend for helping him in the required sermon.
Beautifully preserved despite its folding in eighths for dispatch and untrimmed, it was treasured by the Southborough Historical Society and was unknown except a reference in a 1955 list.
It was sold for $ 2.23M from a lower estimate of $ 1.5M by Sotheby's on July 21, 2022, lot 1004.
A poor copy was sold for $ 510K by Heritage on April 5, 2016, lot 49032. A very fresh untrimmed copy was sold for $ 1.2M by Sotheby's on January 17, 2018, lot 176. Both examples identify the name of the reverend who received the copy.
On August 5 the Council approves its official broadside. The American Gazette had permanently ceased its publication after its No. 7, probably due to a break of partnership between publisher and printer.
This edition by order of the Massachusetts Council is commissioned to the official printer of the colony, Ezekiel Russell, established in Salem. Very similar to the Dunlap edition, it is typed in a single broad column.
On July 23 the No. 6 of The American Gazette is devoted to the Declaration as authorized by the Council, with a few words apologizing to readers for that exclusive content. The authorized broadside 50 x 40 cm on laid paper was certainly printed simultaneously.
A 50 x 40 cm copy on laid paper of the authorized Massachusetts broadside had been shipped to Revd Mr Stone in Southboro, according to a marking in the reverse. The charges against King George III have been checked off with horizontal rules, arguably by the Reverend for helping him in the required sermon.
Beautifully preserved despite its folding in eighths for dispatch and untrimmed, it was treasured by the Southborough Historical Society and was unknown except a reference in a 1955 list.
It was sold for $ 2.23M from a lower estimate of $ 1.5M by Sotheby's on July 21, 2022, lot 1004.
A poor copy was sold for $ 510K by Heritage on April 5, 2016, lot 49032. A very fresh untrimmed copy was sold for $ 1.2M by Sotheby's on January 17, 2018, lot 176. Both examples identify the name of the reverend who received the copy.
On August 5 the Council approves its official broadside. The American Gazette had permanently ceased its publication after its No. 7, probably due to a break of partnership between publisher and printer.
1777 US Flag
2006 SOLD for $ 12.3M by Sotheby's
A Loyalist officer in the Revolutionary War, Banastre Tarleton returns to England in 1781 with a collection of four colors taken from the Americans.
His late father, a shipowner from Liverpool, had made his fortune in the slave trade. As soon as the war for independence broke out, the 21-year-old Banastre crossed the Atlantic. In 1778 he created in New York the Tarleton's Raiders, a cavalry unit wearing the green uniform of the British Legion. This brilliant officer is famous for the massacre of the Patriots at the Battle of Waxhaws.
Directly from his descendance, the four trophies were auctioned by Sotheby's on June 14, 2006.
Lot 1, sold for $ 12.3M, is a flag of the 2nd Continental Light Dragons taken in 1779 at the Battle of Pound Ridge. It is in silk 76 x 90 cm plus a 7 cm silver fringe on the three fly sides.
This piece is the only surviving example of the first style of US flags, with the thirteen red and white stripes symbolizing the founding states but before the addition of the stars by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777. In the center of this flag, a rectangle fabric is painted with a winged storm cloud with a motto in ribbon. Its terminus post quem is the creation of its regiment on December 12, 1776.
The other three flags were sold together for $ 5.1M, lot 2. They constitute the 3rd Virginia Detachment color set, taken at Waxhaws in 1780.
His late father, a shipowner from Liverpool, had made his fortune in the slave trade. As soon as the war for independence broke out, the 21-year-old Banastre crossed the Atlantic. In 1778 he created in New York the Tarleton's Raiders, a cavalry unit wearing the green uniform of the British Legion. This brilliant officer is famous for the massacre of the Patriots at the Battle of Waxhaws.
Directly from his descendance, the four trophies were auctioned by Sotheby's on June 14, 2006.
Lot 1, sold for $ 12.3M, is a flag of the 2nd Continental Light Dragons taken in 1779 at the Battle of Pound Ridge. It is in silk 76 x 90 cm plus a 7 cm silver fringe on the three fly sides.
This piece is the only surviving example of the first style of US flags, with the thirteen red and white stripes symbolizing the founding states but before the addition of the stars by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777. In the center of this flag, a rectangle fabric is painted with a winged storm cloud with a motto in ribbon. Its terminus post quem is the creation of its regiment on December 12, 1776.
The other three flags were sold together for $ 5.1M, lot 2. They constitute the 3rd Virginia Detachment color set, taken at Waxhaws in 1780.
