A Nashville man who spent just $2.48 on a rolled-up document at a thrift store in 2006 discovered that he had purchased a rare 1823 official copy of the United States Declaration of Independence. The historic document was later sold at auction for $477,650.
Michael Sparks, a music equipment technician, bought the document during a visit to the Music City Thrift Store in Nashville while browsing for household items. What initially appeared to be an old print soon became the subject of months of research.
Sparks eventually learned that the document was an authentic “Stone print” of the Declaration of Independence, named after engraver William J. Stone. The discovery was reported by the Associated Press through WIS-TV.
A remarkable discovery for $2.48
Sparks was a regular visitor to the thrift store and frequently searched second-hand shops for unusual historical objects. On the day of his discovery, he purchased several items, including a candelabra, salt and pepper shakers and the rolled-up document.
The store’s manager, Kay Boner, said the $2.48 price reflected the standard price assigned to similar items at the time.
Sparks suspected the document might be older than an ordinary reproduction and took it home to investigate. After months of research, he confirmed its historical significance.
“I was thinking: ‘Good grief, could this be an original?’” Sparks recalled.
One of only 200 official copies
The document dated back to an effort in the early 1820s to preserve the Declaration of Independence.
By 1820, the original 1776 parchment had begun deteriorating after decades of handling and exposure to light. John Quincy Adams, then Secretary of State, commissioned William J. Stone to create an exact engraved reproduction.
Stone spent three years preparing a copperplate from which official copies could be produced. In 1823, Congress ordered 200 copies to be printed on vellum for surviving signers of the Declaration, government officials and other institutions.
At the time Sparks found his copy, historians were aware of only 35 surviving examples. His discovery became the 36th known copy.
The document was also considered to be in exceptionally good condition, with notably dark and well-preserved ink, increasing its appeal to collectors.
From a $10 yard-sale purchase to a $477,650 auction
The document had an unusual history before reaching Sparks.
Just two days before he bought it, the piece had been hanging in the garage of Nashville resident Stan Caffy. Caffy had purchased it for $10 at a yard sale and displayed it in his garage for about a decade.
When his wife asked him to clear out the garage, Caffy donated unwanted belongings to the Music City Thrift Store, unknowingly parting with a document that would eventually sell for nearly half a million dollars.
The rare print was later offered by Raynors’ Historical Collectible Auctions in Burlington, North Carolina. Bidding opened at $125,000 before climbing to a final sale price of $477,650.
The winning bidder was an anonymous buyer who participated by telephone.
A life-changing discovery
The unexpected sale transformed Sparks’ financial circumstances, although he noted that taxes and auction-related costs would significantly reduce the amount he ultimately received.
“You think it is a huge fortune, but by the time you figure it up and put some off for the taxes it is not,” Sparks said after the auction. “It is not a huge fortune, but more like a small fortune.”
What began as a routine thrift-store purchase ultimately became one of the most remarkable historical discoveries to emerge from a second-hand shop, turning a $2.48 bargain into a nearly half-million-dollar piece of American history.
