Man paid $2.48 for old document; a year later, it sold for $477,650
A rare 1823 'Stone print' copy of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, purchased for $2.48 at a thrift store, was sold at auction for $477,650. The document was one of 200 official copies commissioned by John Quincy Adams to preserve the original text.
Why it matters
This highlights the historical value of rare artifacts and the potential for significant financial discovery in secondary markets.
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.
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