1776 Pewter Continental Currency "FUGIO"

True words of wisdom. I try to follow this sound advice, but I have a problem with discourse and sitting idly when I see people ruining it. I’m really grateful for that ignore button.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Stick to the coins. Flame wars will be smothered with Permanent Foam if they escalate.Jim

 

The powers of sun and flash photography are being kept away from these documents. That's not terribly hard to do.

I took my family to see the documents on display in Washington a few years ago. They, along with an original copy of the Magna Carta, were displayed in very dark rooms, in cabinets illuminated with strips of red and green LED lamps -- no blue light, never mind ultraviolet. Long-wavelength light (red/yellow/green) has negligible impact on ink and parchment.

If you get a chance, you should go see the displays yourself.

 

Hi JeffB. Thanks for your personal impressions of the Documents which included the Declaration, and also the Magna Carta, normally kept in Britain. I wouldn't doubt, as you say, that sun and flash photography are now kept away. The keyword is "now", and, as I referred to in an earlier message, they took "35 years of exposure to sunlight opposite a window in the Patent Office Building. Today, it is sealed in the most scientifically advanced housing that preservation technology can provide." And I understand that the National Archives Museum enforces it's rules quite stringently - as one might expect. - I don't know if I'll ever get to the States again. But if I do, I expect that Washington D.C., with it's national treasures, would be top of the list to see !

 

I have also seen the documents in person and can state that their display methods back in the 18th and 19th century did do extensive damage to the documents. They are VERY faded and almost impossible to read today.

 

Of course the documents are very faded. Like Humpty Dumpty, very difficult to put together again. We all have to learn to see facts as facts. Or, you can take a mule to
water, but you can't make it drink. Even reasonably intelligent people get fixed ideas
and refuse to see the reality. Very sad !

 

The writing on the Declaration of Independence is quite dim. In 1826 the document was given to a printer so that he could make a copy of it. In the process, he lifted a good deal of the ink the document which left the writing very faded.

The Declaration is on display in muted light to prevent further damage. That makes it even harder to see. In the event of a national catastrophe, it can be lowered into a protective bunker for same keeping.

 

Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.- Thanks to all who have added to the discussion about the unanimous Declaration of Independence of the 13 united States of America. The Text can be read online - it is taken from a Stone Engraving of the parchment at the National Archives Museum, Washington D.C.

 

The Declaration of Independence is in terribly shape. I have 18th Century parchments and Continental Currency (paper, of course) made or signed with similar ink. They are in much better shape, perhaps because nobody tried to "preserve" or display them and they experienced 200 years of benign neglect. An interesting history of the failings of preservation is at https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/a22025447/declaration-of-independence-science/. Almost all the copies of the Declaration hanging in public and private places today are taken either from the 1826 copper engraving or from one of the original paper broadsides printed in 1776. What I would love to discover, hidden in some desk drawer or folded in an old book, is THE Declaration, the one sent to the printer to make the broadsides, and perhaps to the scribe on July 19th to make the one that hangs in the National Archives.

 

Anyone here, who still believes the D. of I. is, more or less, in perfect condition, with respect, needs to see a specialist. It is clear that most of the original ink has disappeared since Matlock's excellent penmanship, some 243 years ago. That being only one reason for the document's deterioration. Some valued witness reports have supported that what now remains is virtually unreadable. The original signatories may, so to speak, be rolling in their graves at the, possibly, wholly unintended vandalism. If that is any consolation, the original manuscripts of the Magna Carta have not fared much better. - P.S. Please study the attachment with Neal's letter !

 

As Jim put it, "Stick to the coins." Debates about the preservation of old documents should be done next door please.

Christian

 

Bert Gedin ... Madam/Sir, my response to your claim of my ignorance has been delayed by other members offering their opinions - I would love to offer my response, but I am only a lowly "MEMBER" and I feel compelled to defer to your "Well-Known Member" status, as well as your far superior, self-proclaimed intelligence. Visualize me holding a deep bow as I retreat from this discussion.

 

Hi JDL. Thanks for your amusing letter. As in WWI, you risked getting shot if you stuck your head above the parapet. And you were brave enough to do that. But we can't win all the time, and this Well-known" member can assure you that, on a number of occasions, the "Well-known" meant being known for the wrong reasons.
To, at least once - often much more - bet on the wrong horse is often a baptism of fire that we all need to go through. And I bet even Alexander the Great could have confirmed that !!! - And may I also offer a deep bow.

 

If I recall correctly, when I was there back in 1967 they said it was dropped down into the vault each evening.

And thanks for the mention about the ink removal during the copperplate engraving, I had forgotten about that.

 

i would love to know more about this coin . i got mine over three years ago now, was very interested in it at first. but then came to think that i had just another fake. didn't bother with it for a while then came upon some more info. started to really think mine was real and from the third cast the one with both solid line and dotted lines on it. but just last week i took it to a very repit. coin dealer in seattle wa, he had a very hard time making a call on it until he weighed it . i believe it was just over 20.g he said that that was it his deciding factor. so i would love to hear about weight only being a part

 

i think it is hilarious that pushing close to 300 years now and this want to be red coat remake is still mad at the fact that a bunch of working class men, and in some cases' boys sent his country men professional solders back across the pond. its unfortunate that your still mad at the fact that the brits lost. i mean we are no longer mad that are freedom was challenged but also when americans happen to wonder back over to that LITTLE spot of land that has so much history. we seldom find are self wondering to locations of royal beheadings or whatever type of execution they chose at the time. but yes lincoln was murdered in a theater we pay our respects there as well as the many monuments in his name. and the original that you speak of are just as bright and vibrant as they were the day that we declared independence of your country because those 'THAT I ASSURE YOU NO TRUE AMERICAN IS EVEN CLOSE TO BEING DISAPPOINTED WHEN THEY ARE VIEWING THEM IN PERSON ' are simply copies of the original. because the originals are embedded in the blood of each and every single american man and women its the thing that keeps us sitting at the head of every table that there is ''INVITED OR NOT!'' So yes the paper and ink have aged a bit but everything does ""i would say they are looking pretty good for the amount of time they have been held so highly as prize possession to us over here. i dont suppose that your country has very many documents from that little misunderstanding between us still hanging around do they? well of course not why would any body keep reminders around so long! i mean who would want to be reminded that they lost every day. sorry old chap! never meant ??? ps. once this guy kicks rocks can anyone help me with a old coin
that has one R, not RR?

 

I missed this discussion before. I did not know the document could be lowered into a bunker in case of disaster. I did have the honor of seeing the document three years ago. The one thing that caught me unaware was the small almost child sized handprint on the document that was very apparent. It was said to me that the average man was of much smaller stature all those years ago and that it was an average mans handprint of the day on that document.

 

Although I live in Britain, and am reasonably happy here, I accept that There were dark actions by Britain, in those days. However, I also believe that many Americans
would not consider their own actions, in the last few hundred years, as totally unblemished. The "Declaration" has been damaged, by ravages of time, and ink problems etc. The Magna Carta writings have suffered likewise. May I be word-fussy,
and ask if John Milton's phrase about lowering into a protective bunker for "same keeping" should, instead, say "safe keeping" ?

 

Hi everyone so I came across this coin in a estate auction of a guy who hoarded alot of coins and stuff but seen all the fakes figuring this has to be not real but as I did what home test you should do I weighed it, look for a "R" and the word copy and cant find it anywhere but what I did find is a name on the edge of the coin on the outside of it which I havent been able to find a picture of the coin on its edge any comments on helping me solve this would greatly appriciate it here are the pics below and thank you

 

Hi everyone so I came across this coin in a estate auction of a guy who hoarded alot of coins and stuff but seen all the fakes figuring this has to be not real but as I did what home test you should do I weighed it, look for a "R" and the word copy and cant find it anywhere but what I did find is a name on the edge of the coin on the outside of it which I havent been able to find a picture of the coin on its edge any comments on helping me solve this would greatly appriciate it here are the pics below and thank you