The Treasure Hunt of an Antique Dealer

Chapter 155: "The earliest American artifacts"

I bought a painting for $20, and I came across one of the things I love to encounter when buying second-hand goods: there is entrainment!

Before his rebirth, Zhang Nan had a friend who specialized in the business of used books and magazines. Sometimes he bought old books and magazines from waste collection stations or old warehouses in some units, and there would be hundreds of thousands of catties at a time!

When I am busy, I need friends to sort out the classification together, and Zhang Nan has also helped out n times. (The best experience of reading novels without pop-up windows is at 【Phoenix Novel Net】)

Time can make people forget many things, such as gadgets caught in books: especially books with plastic covers, such as "Quotations from Taizu". It's very convenient to stuff something in the inner fold of the cover, and if you don't pay attention, you will forget the things inside. After a few decades, those little things may be treasures.

Sorting out old books and magazines to check whether there is any entrainment is an important part, and there are always surprises!

Of course, most old books may contain a letter, an ordinary bookmark, two tickets from decades ago, a note...

They are all ordinary.

However, some very early bookmarks can be sold for a few decades, and some people ask for tickets at the beginning of the liberation period! In particular, sometimes the entrained notes were written in cigarette box paper for decades. At that time, the paper should be saved as much as possible.

Good luck, there are thousands of wrapping paper for a cigarette box!

If you encounter the first and second set of RMB in Jiasai, you will be inadvertently sending a small amount of money-the big denomination is not to think, the small denomination is secretly happy.

At this time, the picture frame in Zhang Nan's hand looks like it is dozens of hundreds of years old, and the backrest is made of thin wooden boards, not the ultra-thick cardboard that is common today.

The exposed stack of paper should look like a large folded sheet. The paper has turned yellow, and it feels older than that of the frame.

"Ellen, why are you taking a picture frame?"

Nicole put down her bag and walked over.

Zhang Nan took out the stack of paper, but fortunately it was not glued to the bottom plate or canvas.

"I went to the flea market at noon. Last time I bought the one from the Tang Dynasty Hengdao. US$20, a good old picture frame, unpacked."

He said that he put the piece of paper on the table and planned to open it slowly, "There is still something inside it, I don't know what it is."

Jenny also leaned in to take a look. It seems that people are always curious about all the unknown.

The paper is some years old, but the quality is good, and there is no problem of mold, rotten and insects. Open the origami carefully, the boss's one, with English printed on it, and the most conspicuous row when you look up is "".

Zhang Nan hasn't felt what it is, the two beauties on the side have already shouted: "Independence-Declaration of Independence! Take a look, when is it?"

"Huh? Oh."

But before Zhang Nan took a closer look, Jenny shouted again: "I have seen it! I have seen exactly the same, right in the precious classics of the university library! This should be the first of the "Independence-Independence Declaration". Edition prints!"

Jenny got more excited as she talked, and soon Nicole also reacted and said: "I have seen the same version in school, Allen, you are so lucky!"

Looking at the reactions of the two beauties, Zhang Nan felt that this piece of paper should be very special, or it has a high collection value or political significance!

Zhang Nan has seen many old announcements and documents, even the emperor Kangxi’s imperial decree. When I was in China, although I didn't collect many paper products such as documents, I saw many of these things in friends.

For example, the various notices, contracts, and official documents left over from various periods in the Qing Dynasty. Those things are cheap for a few dollars, and the expensive ones are usually tens of thousands and tens of thousands. They are common.

Of course, the imperial edict is an exception, which is relatively expensive.

But this will look at the appearance of Nicole. This thin piece of paper is definitely not the grade that Zhang Nan has always remembered.

This is a notice, a very important notice for Americans!

No way, Zhang Nan only knows about American history and culture—it's okay, which Chinese person will carefully study American history?

Fortunately, Nicole's next words with Jenny made Zhang Nan understand what this paper announcement means to Americans.

The "Declaration of American Independence" is a proclamation of the 13 British colonies in North America proclaiming the independence of the Kingdom of Great Britain and declaring the legitimacy of this action.

On July 4, 1776, the declaration was approved by the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, which later became the American Independence Day. The original of the declaration was signed by representatives of the Continental Congress and permanently displayed at the National Archives and Documents Office in Washington, D.C.-this declaration of independence is also one of the most important national instruments of the United States.

This Zhang Nan knew that the foreign history part of China's history textbook was written, but the next part was the part he didn't know before.

On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress decided to adopt the Declaration of Independence. The handwritten draft was signed by the chairman of the Congress John Hancock and the secretary Charles Townsend, and it was sent to "John -Danglip Printing Factory" printed.

About 150 to 200 printed copies were printed that night, and this batch of printed materials is now called "Danglip single-sided printing plates."

One of them was delivered to George Washington on July 6, and he read it to the troops stationed in New York on July 9. And the 24 copies of the "Danglip" one-sided print edition currently surviving in the world are the oldest existing editions of the American "Independence-Independence Declaration"!

Because that handwritten manuscript has long been missing!

What happened to the copy kept in the National Archives and Records Administration of the United States?

That one was printed a few days later than the first batch: On July 19, 1776, the Continental Congress ruled that a printed version of the manifesto was handwritten and transcribed for the delegates to sign~www.wuxiaspot.com~ In the end there were 56 people. The representative signed the declaration-this is the manuscript displayed at the National Archives of the United States.

Inadvertently, Zhang Nan got "the earliest cultural relics in America"!

Definitely the earliest! It hasn't been before!

"Allen, this should be the 25th Dunlap single-sided printing plate discovered so far, and the fourth privately owned copy. The other 21 copies are scattered in various universities in the United States."

Zhang Nan looked at the announcement carefully, "It should be in 200 years, how can you be sure that this is the version?"

Now Nicole and Jenny both laughed: they were laughing that Zhang Nan didn't understand American history.

"Because this version is not a model for later reproductions, it is very special. In 1823, an engraved printed copy was made that was exactly the same as the handwritten original. That engraved printed copy was the basis for the later reproduction, not the first printed matter."

After listening to Jenny's words, Zhang Nan understood: I picked up two leaks today, and one of them was a super leaky American! (To be continued.)

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