A yellowed, rolled-up document bought for $2.48 at a Music City Thrift Store in Nashville sold for $477,650 at auction after it was confirmed as a very rare 1823 official copy of the United States Declaration of Independence. The document was bought in March 2006 by Michael Sparks, a music equipment technician, as reported by the Associated Press through WIS-TV. While looking around the store for household items, he noticed the rolled-up manuscript. It turned out to be one of only 200 official copies commissioned by John Quincy Adams in the 1820s. The print was auctioned in Burlington, North Carolina, and sold for far more than expected. Bidding at Raynors’ Historical Collectible Auctions started at $125,000 before rising to the final sale price of $477,650.
Discovery in the bargain bin
According to a report by the Deseret News, Sparks was making his usual weekly visit to the Music City Thrift Store when he picked up a candelabra, a set of salt and pepper shakers, and the rolled document. Store manager Kay Boner said that $2.48 was simply the standard price for an item like this at the time. Sparks often searched second-hand stores for interesting historical items. He thought the print might be older than a regular modern souvenir. He took it home and spent months carefully researching it to find out where it came from. “I was thinking: ‘Good grief, could this be an original?'” Sparks told the Associated Press. His research confirmed that he had found an authentic “Stone print” of the Declaration of Independence. It was named after the engraver William J. Stone.
Commissioned to preserve history
By 1820, the original 1776 parchment of the Declaration of Independence was quickly wearing out because of handling and exposure to light. John Quincy Adams, who was Secretary of State at the time, asked Stone to make an exact copy of the document. Stone spent three years making an engraved copperplate of the Declaration. In 1823, Congress ordered 200 official copies to be printed on vellum for surviving signers, government leaders, and official institutions. Before Sparks found his copy, historians knew where only 35 of those original 200 copies were located. His discovery became the 36th known surviving copy. This particular copy was also in unusually good condition, with rich, dark ink. Because it had been so well preserved, expert appraisers estimated that it could be worth much more than other copies that had previously appeared on the market.
A fortunate accident for one, a garage cleanout for another
Behind the valuable sale was a remarkable coincidence involving another local resident. Just two days before Sparks bought the document, the print had been hanging in a garage only a short drive away. Nashville resident Stan Caffy had kept the document on his garage wall for ten years after buying it at a yard sale for $10. When Caffy’s wife asked him to clean out the garage and get rid of unwanted items, Caffy reluctantly donated the document to the Music City Thrift Store along with other household clutter. Caffy later said he was happy for Sparks, even though he had missed out on the money. He said he was glad the document had ended up with someone who recognized its true historical importance.
Life after the hammer falls
After the auction, Sparks reflected on his sudden windfall. Although the sale greatly changed his financial situation, he kept a realistic view of the final amount after taxes and commission. Speaking to the Associated Press after the auction, Sparks said: “You think it is a huge fortune, but by the time you figure it up and put some off for the taxes it is not. It is not a huge fortune, but more like a small fortune.” Auctioneers confirmed that the winning bid came from an anonymous buyer who took part by telephone. The sale became one of the most valuable thrift store discoveries recorded in American history.