For a cool million, you can buy the Declaration of Independence
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A piece of American history dating back to the Revolutionary War will soon be going up for auction.
You'll need deep pockets to buy it, but you can still get a glimpse of it right here in Chicago.
Heritage Auctions gave CBS 2 an exclusive sneak peek of a broadside of the Declaration of Independence, printed in Massachusetts in July of 1776.
According to the auction house, "broadsides quickly delivered information to the general public – similar to a social media post today. The sheets were heavily handled, nailed up, and roughly transported. They were very important in spreading the biggest news in American History, but they were also practical and not meant to be saved."
Only six copies still exist. Four of them are in private institutions. Heritage Auctions said the document has a Chicago connection.
"It was once owned by Philip D. Sang, a business leader and philanthropist, who spent his entire life in Chicago. Mr. Sang graduated from IIT with a degree in mechanical engineering and was hugely successful in his career. He was a great collector of manuscripts and gave back to the community, supporting many institutions including The Chicago Public Library and the Illinois State Historical Society."
This extremely rare document is how most people first learned of the founding of the United States. The starting bid for the broadside is one million dollars.
It will be on display at the Heritage Auctions River North location from June 12th through June 20th. The live auction takes place on July 8th, If you're interested in purchasing the historical document, you can register to bid and watch the auction happen live on the Heritage Auctions website.
