Jun 26, 2026
America’s semiquincentennial is renewing interest in the nation’s history and heritage. And an upcoming auction is giving people a rare opportunity to own a piece of that history.
Goldin auctions has put a number of antiquities centered around America’s founding up for bids, the crown jewel of which is one of the first printed copies of the Declaration of Independence.
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The copy is known as a broadside (single pages printed only on one side) used way back in the 1700s to be read at town gatherings and posted in public places to spread the news of the historic proclamation.
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Bids for the document have already topped $1.1 million—and will continue to be accepted through July 8.
A historical rarity
On July 4, 1776, a Philadelphia printer named John Dunlap was tasked with printing the first broadside of the Declaration of Independence. He started work the next day, distributing them to the colonies as well as a copy to George Washington. He originally made 200, but just 26 are known to have survived today.
This particular edition of a broadside, known as Exeter, is even rarer. Only 10 exist today. The Exeter broadside came about when a copy of the Dunlap broadside arrived in Exeter, the Revolutionary War capital of New Hampshire. Local printers then quickly began to create their own versions as the public clamored for proof of independence.
Goldin has not offered any estimates on what the rare document will fetch at auction. But another Exeter broadside that appears to be in a similar condition as Goldin’s sold for just under $5.7 million earlier this year at Christie’s auction house. Sotheby’s sold another Exeter broadside last year for $2.4 million.
“This is a document of monumental historical significance,” said Goldin in the listing. “This 1776 Exeter Broadside edition of the Declaration of Independence provides a concrete, tactile link to our nation’s founding as America celebrates 250 years of sovereignty.”
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Other items up for bids
While the broadside is the highlight of the auction, Goldin has several other Revolutionary War pieces of memorabilia up for grabs.
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Included among those is a 1776 letter from Washington to Col. Daniel Hitchcock seeking assistance in raising an army. Bids for that have hit $60,000 so far. There’s also a signed letter from Benjamin Franklin that articulates the basis for the Revolution. That’s currently up to $27,000. And the only surviving law register of Alexander Hamilton, which is handwritten and signed twice, has run up bids so far of $100,000.
America’s plans for its 250th birthday
The U.S. has big plans for its semiquincentennial. A 16-day State Fair, spanning from June 25 to July 10, will stretch across the National Mall to commemorate the occasion. President Donald Trump and The White House already hosted an Ultimate Fighting Championship event, UFC Freedom 250, earlier this month.
On the day itself, there will be plenty of fireworks displays across the country, along with a ball drop in New York’s Times Square.
In Philadelphia, a time capsule will be buried and remain sealed until the year 2276 — 250 years in the future.
And finally, in Los Angeles, America250 will host a concert at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
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Chris Morris is a veteran journalist with more than 35 years of experience at many of the internet's biggest news outlets. In addition to his activities as a writer, reporter and editor, Chris is also a frequent panel moderator and speaker at major conferences, including CES and South by Southwest.
