The 4th of July is a special part of American history. The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776 and that marks the year 2022 as the 246th birthday of United States and Declaration of Independence. Just keep in mind that the it was not until September 1783 when the Revolution formally ended. And also keep in mind that the formal federal government under President George Washington was not until his office began on April 30, 1789.

There are some rather special collectible items that are in private hands which are tributes to the 4th of July. One that stood out as perhaps the most diligent collection for a single group is a complete set of signatures of all 56 men who actually signed the Declaration of Independence.

Heritage Auctions most recently sold a full 56 Signers set for a whopping $1.395 million on June 25, 2022, after the buyer’s premium was included. According to Heritage Auctions, there are approximately 40 sets that have been assembled with all 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. Heritage also pointed out that most of those collections are held in institutions or public libraries.

The full press release mentions each document by name, and it says:

The incredible example offered here consists of nineteen autograph letters signed, two letters signed, twelve autograph documents signed, twenty-four documents signed, and one clipped signature from the second rarest signer, Thomas Lynch, Jr. Included with this collection is an additional two items from Secretary of the Continental Congress Charles Thomson and Framer of the Declaration of Independence Robert Livingston, culminating in a total of 58 manuscript items. This is an exceedingly rare, possibly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to obtain a collection of such historical importance – a collection of letters and documents once held by those brave individuals who pressed their names to the most famous document in American history nearly two hundred and fifty years ago. Heritage Auctions is proud to present the Carl A. Przyborowski Collection of Signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Image below by Heritage Auctions.

The full list of the Signers and the documents which their signatures are on was listed as follows:

Samuel Adams appointment signed (“Samuel Adams”) as Governor of Massachusetts. One page, 7.5″ x 12″, [Boston]; October 18, 1796.

Josiah Bartlett document signed (“Josiah Bartlett”). One page, 7.25″ x 2.25″, [Kingston, New Hampshire]; December 27, 1771.

Carter Braxton document signed three times (“Carter Braxton” and “C. Braxton”). One page of a bifolium, 7.25″ x 8.5″, no place; January 8, 1787.

Charles Carroll of Carrollton autograph letter signed (“Ch. Carroll of Carrollton”). One page of a bifolium, 7.75″ x 9.75″, Baltimore; January 12, 1826.

Samuel Chase autograph document signed (“Samuel Chase”). One page, 6.5″ x 4.25″, Baltimore; October 1, 1802.

Abraham Clark autograph letter signed (“Abra: Clark”). One page, 8.25″ x 13.5″, Philadelphia; December 11, 1782.

George Clymer autograph letter signed (“Geo Clymer”). One page of a bifolium, 8″ x 10″, Philadelphia; March 20, 1808.

William Ellery autograph letter signed (“William Ellery”). Two pages on one leaf, 6.5″ x 8″, Newport; May 30, 1789.

William Floyd document signed (“Wm: Floyd”). One page, 6.5″ x 8.25″, New York; April 4, 1784.

Elbridge Gerry autograph letter signed and franked (“E Gerry” and “Free E Gerry”). Three pages of a bifolium, 7.75″ x 9.75″, New York; August 1, 1789.

Lyman Hall document signed (“L. Hall”). One page, 8.75″ x 5.5″, Savannah; September 24, 1783.

Benjamin Harrison letter signed (“Benj. Harrison”) as Governor of Virginia. One page, 7.25″ x 9″, “Council Chambers” [Virginia]; January 1, 1782.

John Hart document signed (“John Hart”). One page, 8.5″ x 5″, no place; March 2, 1776.

Joseph Hewes document signed (“Joseph Hewes”). One partially printed page, 7.75″ x 6.5″, Edenton, North Carolina; March 30, 1765.

Thomas Heyward Jr. document signed (“Tho. Heyward Junr”). One partially printed page, 12.75″ x 7.75″, Charleston, South Carolina; June 13, 1788.

William Hooper autograph document signed (“Will: Hooper”). One page, 7″ x 11.75″, North Carolina; September 5, 1769.

Stephen Hopkins autograph letter signed (“Step Hopkins”) as Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island. Three pages of a bifolium, 6″ x 7.25″, Providence; September 24, 1755.

Francis Hopkinson autograph letter signed (“F: Hopkinson”). Two pages on one leaf with separate address leaf, 6″ x 7.5″, Borden Town; March 21, 1778.

Samuel Huntington autograph letter signed (“S. Huntington”) as Governor of Connecticut. One page, 7.75″ x 9.5″, Norwich; June 17, 1794.

Francis Lightfoot Lee autograph letter signed (“Francis Lightfoot Lee”). One page, 7.25″ x 9″, Philadelphia; June 2, 1783.

Richard Henry Lee autograph letter signed (“Richard Henry Lee”). One page, 6.5″ x 6.5″, “Susquehannah” [Virginia]; September 28, 1777.

Francis Lewis autograph letter signed (“Fra: Lewis”). Two pages on one leaf, 7.5″ x 7.75″, “York Town”; January 5, 1778.

Philip Livingston document signed (“Phil. Livingston”). One page, 8″ x 5.75″, New York; September 8, 1772.

Thomas McKean document signed (“Tho. M:Kean”). One page, 8″ x 4.75″, “Harrisburgh” [Pennsylvania]; December 5, 1792.

Arthur Middleton document signed (“Arthur Middleton”). One partially printed page, 9.25″ x 4.75″, South Carolina; March 25, 1776.

Lewis Morris autograph letter signed (“Lewis Morris”). Two pages of a bifolium, 7.25″ x 9.25″, no place; no date [circa 1785-1798].

Robert Morris autograph letter signed (“Robt Morris”). Four pages of a bifolium, 7.75″ x 9.25″, Philadelphia; February 25, 1780.

John Morton currency note signed (“John Morton”). One partially printed note, 3.375″ x 2.875″, [Pennsylvania]; April 3, 1772. A “Two Shillings and Six-pence” currency note.

Thomas Nelson Jr. autograph document signed (“Tho. Nelson Junr.”) in the text. One page, 7.5″ x 2.75″, no place; November 7, 1770.

William Paca autograph letter signed (“Wm. Paca”). One page, 7.25″ x 9″, “Balt-Town” [Baltimore, Maryland]; July 2, 1795.

Robert Treat Paine autograph document signed (“R. T. Paine”). Two pages on one leaf, 7.75″ x 12.5″, [Massachusetts]; January 1, 1780.

John Penn autograph document signed (“J Penn”). One page, 9.25″ x 15″, Granville County, North Carolina; no date [circa 1782].

George Read document signed (“Geo: Read”). One page, 8.25″ x 6.5″, no place; July 22, 1784.

Caesar Rodney document signed (“Caesar Rodney”) as President of Delaware. One page, 13″ x 8″, Dover, Delaware; November 29, 1780.

George Ross document signed (“Richd. Ross”). One page, 7.5″ x 12.5″, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania; January 7, 1750.

Benjamin Rush autograph letter signed (“Benjn Rush”). Two pages of a bifolium, 6.25″ x 7.75″, [Philadelphia]; March 29, 1792.

Edward Rutledge document twice signed (“E: Rutledge”). One partially printed page, 12.5″ x 7.75″, Charlestown, South Carolina; July 1, 1783.

Roger Sherman partial document signed (“Roger Sherman”). One partial page, 8″ x 3.25″, no place; December 1791.

James Smith autograph document twice signed (“James Smith” and “Ja. Smith”). One page, 7.5″ x 12.5″, Cumberland County [Pennsylvania]; July 1750.

Richard Stockton autograph document twice signed (“Richard Stockton” and “R. Stockton”). One page, 7.5″ x 4″, Middlesex County, [New Jersey]; no date.

Thomas Stone autograph document signed (“T: Stone”). One page, 7.25″ x 4″, no place; May 20, 1784.

George Taylor autograph document signed (“Geo: Taylor”). One page, 7.5″ x 4.75″, Coventry, [Pennsylvania]; October 21, 1740.

Matthew Thornton document accomplished and signed (“Matthew Thornton”) seven times in the text. One partially printed page, 7.25″ x 12.5″, New Hampshire; April 19, 1760.

George Walton autograph letter signed (“Geo Walton”) while Governor of Georgia to Charles Pinckney. Two pages of a bifolium, 7.75″ x 9.5″, Augusta, [Georgia]; May 31, 1789.

William Whipple autograph letter signed (“Wm: Whipple”). One page, 7.25″ x 12″, Portsmouth; June 8, 1785.

William Williams document signed (“Wm. Williams”). One page, 8.5″ x 4.25″, Hartford; May 21, 1776.

James Wilson document signed (“Wilson”). One partially printed page, 8″ x 6.5″, Cumberland County [Pennsylvania]; January 1771.

John Witherspoon autograph letter signed (“Jno. Witherspoon”). Two pages of a bifolium, 7.25″ x 8.75″, Princeton; February 23, 1787.

Oliver Wolcott Senior autograph document twice signed (“Oliver Wolcott” and “Wolcott”) in the text. One page, 7.25″ x 10″, Goshen, [Connecticut]; March 1770.

George Wythe autograph document signed (“Wythe”). One page, 7.75″ x 11.75″, Orange County, Virginia; 1745.

Charles Thomson autograph Congressional resolution signed (“Cha Thomson”). One page, 7″ x 9″, “In Congress” [Philadelphia]; September 10, 1777. Secretary of the Continental Congress.

Robert Livingston autograph letter signed (“Robt. R. Livingston”). One page, 7.5″ x 9″, Albany, New York; January 30, 1812. Framer of the Declaration of Independence.

One additional note in Heritage’s full description of this says:

In 1930, renowned autograph dealer Thomas Madigan wrote of the near-impossibility of obtaining such a set in Word Shadows of the Great: The Lure of Autograph Collecting. “If the first hundred years were hard, the present hundred are likely to be doubly, trebly so. The day will undoubtedly come when it will be an impossible task to complete a set of the Signers for the simple reason that the autographs of many of them will no longer be available. I daresay it will eventually be impossible even for a multi-millionaire with a check signed in blank to corral a set, for mere millions cannot command a vacuum to deliver up a Gwinnett or a Lynch.” [New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1930, page 115].