The Foundational Documents of the United States are Limited to two Cornerstones

THE DIVORCE FROM GREAT BRITAIN AND THE TYRANNY OF KING GEORGE III As official government commissioned printings of both documents are nearly impossible to obtain (largely federally controlled), first edition public printings have become the standard-bearer for significant institutional and private collections.

For the Declaration of Independence, it's the July 1776 broadsides, which were printed by local printers across the colonies and posted publicly to announce our separation from Great Britain. Rally offered a July 1776 Exeter, NH broadside in 2021, which is currently trading ~40% over its $2M IPO price and has never traded down since IPO.

THE MARRIAGE OF THE THIRTEEN LOOSELY AFFILIATED STATES UNDER A NEW GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHED BY AND FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE When it comes to the Constitution, it's the first public printing in Dunlap & Claypoole's, The Pennsylvania Packet & Daily Advertiser No. 2690, which stands out as the most desirable edition. A comparable copy to the one offered here sold recently in 2024 @ Sotheby's for $1.02M. Remarkably, this first printing is also arguably the most historically significant version of the Constitution ever produced, because it is the first to be shared, not behind closed doors, but rather distributed to the American people. It is the first true publication of the Constitution, by the people, and for the people, it would ultimately govern as the longest standing government charter document in existence.

Printed by the official printers of the Constitutional Convention (Dunlap & Claypoole), using the same templates and just two days after they printed official copies for the constitutional delegates, this document is incredibly rare - even more so than the Declaration's July 1776 broadsides.

Read more #893666