This NYC auction celebrating America's 250th birthday will feature rare and iconic documents

"As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, an auction in New York will feature rare items that trace the nation's history.The event Friday at Christie's, dubbed "We the People: America at 250," will bring together foundational political texts, iconic American art and rare historical artifacts.Among the highlights is a rare 1776 broadside printing of the Declaration of Independence produced in New Hampshire by printer Robert Luist Fowle, estimated at $3 million to $5 million."

""It's historically significant because you get to see what people at the time actually saw," said Peter Klarnet, senior specialist for books, manuscripts and Americana at Christie's.While the initial printing was produced by John Dunlap on the night of July 4, 1776 - with about 200 copies printed and only 26 known to survive - other printers quickly began producing their own versions."

""This is the way that everyday Americans would have encountered the Declaration of Independence whether it was tacked to a wall or read from the pulpit of their local congregation," Klarnet said.Another founding document up for sale is Rufus King's edited draft of the U.S. Constitution, estimated at $3 million to $5 million. Printed just five days before the final version was issued on Sept. 17, 1787, the document captures the nation's founding charter as it was being finalized."

An auction at Christie's in New York titled 'We the People: America at 250' will present foundational political texts, American art and rare historical artifacts. A rare 1776 New Hampshire broadside printing of the Declaration of Independence by Robert Luist Fowle is estimated at $3 million to $5 million. The Dunlap broadside initial printing on July 4, 1776 produced about 200 copies with only 26 known to survive, and printers quickly produced additional versions. Rufus King's edited draft of the U.S. Constitution, printed five days before the final text and showing live edits, is estimated at $3 million to $5 million. The auction also includes a signed Emancipation Proclamation.

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