Immaculate Declaration Of Independence Hiding Under $4 Painting Eventually Sold For $7 Million At Auction

partisan of a flea market or carboot sale are always on the Leigh Hunt for a steal , but one man perplex far more than he bargained for in 1991 after he bought an “ ugly ” house painting . At just $ 4 , a collector picked up the painting purely because he like the picture frame , despite call back the house painting was “ grim ” , but discovered an immaculate original written matter of the Declaration of Independence within the frame once he dismantled it .

depict it as an “ unutterably sweet copy ” , David Redden , who was tasked with selling it at auction sale , was enamour by the detail . " The fact that it has been in the backing of the human body preserved it , " he explained in a preservedNYT articlefrom 1991 .

Redden explained how the deal hunter discarded the house painting and was disappointed to incur that the build was ill made as well , so dismantled it shortly after . Just behind the painting , he rule the contract , though he did n’t suppose much of that either .

" But he kept the declaration , which he had regain behind the painting , " Mr. Redden read . " It was close up , about the size of a business enterprise envelope . He thought it might be an other 19th - 100 printing and deserving keeping as a curiosity . "

The man ’s friend then became excited at the sight of the copy , pep up him to talk to an expert . They call Sotheby ’s and the rest is history .

It travel to auction sale again in 2000 , where it had clear even more value andsold againfor $ 7.4 million . Sotheby ’s explained that it had even more note value because it is one of just seven copy that are unassisted , and it required almost no restoration . It is unclear exactly why it was behind the picture , but it was folded while the ink was still smashed , so it was belike placed into the gasbag immediately after printing .

The nature of it being hide from the element and protect within the painting made it truly a particular find , though that does n’t think of you should immediatley go out and purchase dreadful paintings indiscriminately .