, 1870-08-28
AMERICAN AUTOGRAPHS.
The StEncrn OF tho Declaration OF
Independence.

The american Antiquarian il tho title Of | i
eat quarterly Journal devoted 10 the inter- G
sts OF collectors Of autographs, paper money, :
oItEaits, &C., &C., the first number Of which ! !
)e f. Burns al publisher. We lind in it IN !
article gu complete Sets Of the
;igne1s," which gives information OF kind {
,ot readily obtained concerning these collec-
ions. It says:
So far AZ ne have been able to ascertain,
lie number Of complete eets of Bisncra has !
not increased as rapidly as the efforts Of the |
collectors would justify. There are n1ny
sets which We know Of III the collections OF
nearly complete, which by the
addition Of ., few desidcra1a. from the care
with which they lave been improved, will far
su1pass m many ct thoss completed.
"When Mr. Gilman visited 31r. TeEIt's COL
lection, in 1915, although he had then been |
engaged for many years on his set. it still
lacked these seyenteen namess many Of which
Han, Lynch, I. Morris, Middleton, Morton,
Nelson, Penn, Ross, Read, Rodney, Stone,
Smith, Taylor, Thornton, and Wilson while,
At tho same time, the Rev. Dr.. H1fles, Of
Liverpool, a well.knovn English collector,
writes to Alr- Te6t Of Lis own set. Pray, are
emotions Of sos1ow and hope upon the only
hiatus lAyo in mine
1T would be curious to examine whether
This Eugiiel. collection, made By ono neces-
sa1i1y unfamiliar 1ith 4 sight OF many Of
tie T, an.osraphs 81 tie sisneFs, has escaped
to guard, Of taking the son for the father,
or tho wrong man Of the s,me name.
Thomas Lynch, Jr.'e,(cut signatures. have
been forged, aud the fatllor's, also, ia often !
taken for the sons. There weFe two Richard |
stocktons, both eminent .law5ers; George
Oliver Wolcott, Francis Lewis, and others.
had sons OF the same name. who initiated the
signatures of their fathers; Colonel James
Smith, Of the Continental army, ia sometimes
taken for the signer; there we're two John
Ha1ts, Of Hopewell, and tho fathers OF
Thomas Heywa1l, Charles Carroll. and Thomas
Nelson bore the same name. THESE arc points
which require tie caro- and knowledge OF m
expert, aid errors aSainst wluch experienced
collectors nre on tie alert to detect, and the
suspicion of tue existence OF one OF Which in
jures tho reputation Of a eet among connols-
eeure. In some Of the sets we lave examined
both father and 9on are placed in order to
show the difference, and also as afsordins
| pleasant illustration.
Mr. Tent finally completed two sets,
| which We have examined, and each. except IN
completeness and in particular epecinena, IS
| yefy weak compared to more modern coliec-
tiana. The one in the State Library has been
somewhat improved, but much could be done
| 10 add to the interest and value Of both, and
sse could wish they were in tue hands Of some
Of our energetic correspondents. The pr1ccs
for 7t,icl, they were sold. however, werc Tro-
! pottoua}ly low, and would have been III
creased by breaking up the collections, con
taining as they do, Thomas Lynch's (ent s!s-
naturee). Button Gwinnett'r. James SMITH =,
George Taylors, John bfoEtons, Johu has! =,
Iynn, IIaIl't, nuI Thomas Hsywards, winch
70 many seek fot. The difficulty IN obtaining
come Of these names prevents iareo auu. aI,
tion to the number ot coape1o se1s ."H5 5
arn rare in any form, AMI those VINO
nns.css tbe.u with no definite idea OF comPet-
!nn tIc tot. can DISPOSE Of them IN such a
rnn,,ncr as to Gll many other wants IN other
eerier. ,,,u ..,s oxist;nc ,,a
,efo1n,cd by selection from all the m.tetialH
in them and IN those not completed, with let,
tcrs Of the period On historicul Subjects, and
nnifnrm size. whether folio or quarto. it would
produce volumes OF Incredible interest TO the
nouncc. that 10 our knowledge very grea
;nuroyemcnt las been made Of late years
| and thst many sets have attained 3 degree q
romnlcteneas which the carly fathers in auto
! crsphy never contemplated. 49,.
"Tio complete sets which lavccomc to oul
knowledge are enumerated below. and ",
should be aratified by communications afford
ING fuller information az to these anu othess
than nc pnw possess. anil we VIII, az Eaplol
al opportunity oacrs: publish .he inr,csa eGG ~,
We al,nli ask tue aid OF their owners or
those interested in these collections
II, Tho Qa.ea Of Englanls. OF this v
know nothing fuz:her ts'aa Of it, o1is:ene'
eau auy reader tell III whsther i is an orig
nal collection, or that OF lev. Dr. Rallies
or. II not Iie, what las beconno OF his
Whether any other set c1ists IN Eufoles
It "a, The Row DR.. Spraguo = own ss1"
t.3 Ti,t formed by him Tor !sts son:
ni. Tia one in tho State Library (Ient =
as. That owned bT A1E,on W. Gt'swols
Now York
-. That formed by Theodozus B.ile
is. That formed By E. Il. 1eianeToll, No
40. That formed by Ferdinand J. Dsee
ITO. That formed by Robert c. Davis, Phi
ii. That owned by Joseph ). Mick'e
"i9. That formed by Mrs. z. Allen, Pro,
dence.
"l3. That formed by Mellsn Chamberlai
IN Boston
u I'll. That formed BY Mrs. L. J. cist,
Louis.
is known to have nuarly co.urlctesl flapiic,
eet (making one folio and one quarto). Ge
cral tlra1tz Mayor. OF Baltimore, lacks. as
Learn, single specimen, George TaEi
become tho fortuaate. posse=sor Of I
great pody Of his collection at tho 81
- ~ s;.it ,.n ~ f,oI;orn ro,,l;lv VI
~. f-o,,, G;S Juni;r,t.s Nj Gratz. of Phi
I'D | at.,l;. 80 , t,nn aaros t,ctir,, hnt two
oelptla, mas me setys, ,achl9s NV Nv
eidefata. Which II Is 70 oe nopeu He VIII oe
wardcu LOT MS loeIAA'{ anu petsstStauce
soon obtaining: AZ. lahual!, ei So1saan I..!.
Dt. HarneS, OF iacnnoMo, So'onen I.e!,, Eisn
Washington, md Howard aud Taylor, OF II
-, snpinss, rt,,nro ara nfLer names that
i,.vn nTjttc3 or collections thnt We have
nata,, rH;ch n1n nearly romn1eta, M aho
notea, "ncla ase neatt 1911 suas.v, r W. ~ S,.o
"E siae W - ~ - y .n,u:u ~.
ontect IL not 10 g1Ee pnohclts 70 tAs HAmes
pfsate conectots lioE suen aAone tnls as.
Ing T. 1Menuea g Ieaen1' W. 10 10y saoM ,s.t ~ :
Mnal LIS ueisuoof7 a'e "o'ns' ana "nAe '
!. ,r,,,s. ,n,,oo,;ons ,rh;oh .-, ,,,ro a
u.ut...s.,. =. ;nta-ast - th.;. a.t.;1s
yarE greatly y interest," N the'f detais'
olrnas Wonoestu! uestce ~ 1esnntcn
cood 'asto N tnel1 'otmatton. az poss
most sA!uaole .e.tets ana "oeumeats, VI
nA'e touno a. nonolgu auu pctlna"eHt =
ane pace, ~ inc nustlatea ss!s, u1at
tionably the finest IN existence will be No
un- 1t has the hFaf Eolunn o. Sandefscn :!
ai]. ere, containing the historical matter, and
whole OF Brotherhead's large Biography
IN. tho S:suere, the mauuscripts, and OF in
al, merabie illustrations in Inc way OF p.l
but and portraits. including original water-cs
i'm portraits by lia!l OIL all the siEncre, and
aus folio portraits OF the period {many Of vi
tew arc now almost e1tinct) OF persons m
,ss contemporaneous views Of PERSONS and pla,
Iis arms of OF States and many other appro
arc Illustrations, all inlaid iu WatTnzus i ls
ar. iuc PAPER OF = uniform royal fo1ia SIZE,
top Trent, and to be bound up III thirteen or {.
do teen volumes when eomp!efed. 1h.s VII