hile Monday's Independence Day celebrations were vibrant and colorful, the actual document that started it all, the Declaration of Independence, is faded and practically illegible.
That's why collector Tom Lingenfelter says his copy of the Declaration is so exciting. He bought it a flea market more than a decade ago for $100.
"I figured it was a souvenir copy, probably done in the 1800's, maybe for the centennial" said Tom Lingenfelter.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of copies of the Declaration of Independence that were made by an engraver who created printing plates that look just like the original did back in 1776. But through some research, Tom learned his copy was made from the original in the 1840s using a process called anastatic printing.
"They get the original, put an acid based solution on it, take a zinc plate, put in on a document under pressure for a few minutes. When they removed it they got a negative image on a medal plate ready for printing,' explained Lingenfelter.
The only other known anastatic copy of the Declaration is in the archives at Independence Hall.
Not only are the anastatic prints direct copies, but they may also explain why the original, now at the National Archives in Washington, is so faded.
"The process would have, at the least loosened the ink, and then by putting it back on the wall and hanging it there for 20 years in a sunlit room, would be the perfect recipe for what happened to it," said Lingenfelter.
That's why the copy that Lingenfelter has is "priceless".
"I can't say how much it's worth because there has never been one sold before," saysd Lingenfelter.
For now the document is in protective framing is going to be kept in secure storage. Tom Lingenfelter is hoping to get sponsors so that he can display it all over the country.
