Peter Force, ed. AMERICAN ARCHIVES: CONSISTING OF A COLLECTION OF AUTHENTICK RECORDS, STATE PAPERS, DEBATES, AND LETTERS AND OTHER NOTICES OF PUBLICK AFFAIRS, THE WHOLE FORMING A DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF THE ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN COLONIES; OF THE CAUSES AND ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION; AND OF THE CONSTITUTION OF GOVERNMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES, TO THE FINAL RATIFICATION THEREOF. American Archives: Fourth Series. Containing a Documentary History of the English Colonies in North America, from the King's Message to Parliament, of March 7, 1774, to the Declaration of Independence by the United States. Vols. I, II, III, IV, VI (5 of 6 total volumes); American Archives: Fifth Series. Containing a Documentary History of the United States of America, from the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776, to the Definitive Treaty of Peace with Great Britain, September 3, 1783. Vols. I and II (2 of 3 total volumes). Washington: M. St. Clair Clarke and Peter Force, 1837-1851. First edition. Period half bound leather over marbled paper boards, with raised bands and gilt lettering on the spine, with marbled endpapers. Total of (7) folio volumes with text in double columns and each column paginated; with indices, maps, and facsimile documents (some folding). Includes the folded facsimile Declaration of Independence in vol. I of the Fifth Series, an engraving on rice paper printed from William J. Stone's exact copy of the document on copperplate, as issued, with "W. J. Stone SC. WASHn." in the lower left corner. Sabin 25053; Howes F245.

Each 14 1/8 x 9 5/8 in.

In 1820, under Congressional authority, William J. Stone created an exact replica of the Declaration of Independence. (201) copies were then printed on vellum. Years later, Force asked Stone to create additional prints, this time on rice paper and for the purposes of inserting them into his new book series, American Archives. The only change to Stone's matrix was the addition of his imprint in the lower left corner.

This U.S. government-funded publication of archival material, collected by Force, was published in (9) volumes, with other volumes (the first, second, third, and sixth series) intended to follow but never published. This lot includes (7) of the (9) volumes, and is rarely found as a near-complete set. Sabin calls this a "great storehouse of British colonial and American history..." (p. 513).

The Declaration of Independence in very good condition with minor foxing, light creasing, the usual light offsetting and toning, minor tears starting at folds, one 1-in. tear with minor impact on text, and a small loss at the lower right corner. The volumes range from fair to good minus condition. Boards scuffed with occasional fading, dent, or chip, with edgewear, corners rubbed and bumped, spines with cracking, creasing, chipping, and small losses or tears at ends; all volumes with cracking or cracking starting at joints and hinge cracking, with some boards fragile, loose, and partially detached; volumes with occasional interior and exterior damp staining; pages toned and foxed with occasional crease or fold and small chip or tear; facsimiles in generally good condition with similar interior condition issues; damage to (2) leaves in Fourth Series vol. VI, Fifth series vol. II lacking front endpapers.