Rare copy of the Declaration of Independence found in UK National Archives

The one found in London, printed in Exeter, New Hampshire, in mid-July 1776, is the 11th surviving copy of the so-called "Exeter Declarations," and is the first to be found outside the United States.

An extremely rare copy of the Declaration of Independence has been found hidden amongst Revolutionary War letters found outside of the US.

An extremely rare copy of the Declaration of Independence has been found hidden amongst Revolutionary War letters found outside of the US.

A rare Declaration of Independence captured from an American Privateer by a Royal Navy warship on Christmas Eve 1776 has been discovered. The post Previously Unidentified Original Declaration of Independence Discovered in UK Royal Navy Archives appeared first on Breitbart.

Captured from a Revolutionary privateer in 1776, the document sat unread in Royal Navy files for 250 years until Michael Scurr unfolded it one morning.

Graham Moore, the Revolution 250 curator at the National Archives, said the "exceptional" item was "one of the rarest forms of the Declaration we know about".

The document is one of only 11 known copies of the Exeter printing, made just days after the original was signed in 1776.

A rare printing of the Declaration of Independence that was lost for more than 250 years was recovered in London, Britain’s National Archives announced Friday. It is the only known copy of its kind existing outside the U.S. The so-called Exeter Declaration, which was printed in Exeter, N.H., days after the Declaration on Independence was adopted...

The UK National Archives found a fascinating treasure just in time for America's 250th birthday: a previously-unknown copy of the Declaration of Independence. The post UK National Archives Discovers New Copy of Declaration of Independence in Amazingly Well-Preserved Condition first appeared on Mediaite.

A rare copy of the Declaration of Independence, believed to have been lost for more than 250 years, has been discovered at Britain's National Archives in London, making it the only known example of its kind to survive outside the United States. The National Archives said the Declaration was among documents seized by the Royal Navy in December 1776 after British forces captured the American privateer vessel Dalton.

The text had been listed in 18th century records as simply "another document" but in May a volunteer at Britain's National Archives took a closer look

Declaration of Independence copy found in UK ahead of US th anniversary

How did it get to the U.K.?

A rare copy of the Declaration of Independence lost for 250 years has been discovered in London, where it is now the only known example of its kind outside the United States.

A remarkably rare printed copy of the Declaration of Independence has been uncovered at The National Archives in Kew, London, marking one of the most significant archival discoveries linked to the American Revolution in recent years. The document is the only known surviving copy of its kind located outside the United States.The historic find was made in February by volunteer Michael Scurr while he was cataloguing records belonging to Royal Navy captains from the American Revolutionary War. What initially appeared to be an ordinary folded paper turned out to be one of the earliest printed versions of America's declaration from Britain.Volunteer realised the document's significance immediatelyScurr said he sensed the importance of the document the moment he unfolded it."I called over to my boss and said, 'I think you need to come and have a look at this'," he told BBC News.A rare copy of the US Declaration of Independence has been discovered by a volunteer in UK archives! History hiding in plain sight — freedom’s words found across the ocean.#DeclarationOfIndependence #HistoricalDiscovery #UKArchives pic.twitter.com/iJEJdjpx5M— Europe Now (@Europe_9Now) July 3, 2026 The discovery has since undergone authentication and conservation before being placed on public display.One of only 11 surviving New Hampshire printingsUnlike the famous official version printed in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, this copy belongs to an exceptionally rare batch printed later that month in Exeter, New Hampshire. Historians believe these copies were produced to rapidly spread news of American independence across the colonies at a time when communication relied entirely on horseback, ships and printed pamphlets.Only 11 surviving examples from this New Hampshire printing are known today, making the newly identified copy an extraordinary historical artifact.Captured by the British Navy during the American RevolutionThe document's journey to Britain dates back to Christmas Eve 1776, when the Royal Navy warship HMS Raisonable intercepted and captured the American vessel Dalton off the coast of Portugal after a pursuit lasting around seven hours.Among the confiscated papers were military documents issued by the Continental Congress, privateering commissions and the rare printed Declaration of Independence. The records were transported to Britain, eventually reaching government archives.Historians say the Declaration remained unnoticed for centuries because it had been listed simply as "another paper" in naval records rather than being identified as a historically significant document. Only known Exeter printing of US Declaration found in UK naval archivesA volunteer cataloguing 18th-century Royal Navy documents at the National Archives in Kew discovered one of just 11 surviving copies of the Declaration of Independence in late May. The broadside was… pic.twitter.com/Y9cw8bSE5o— NewsTongue (@NewsTongueX) July 2, 2026 Hidden in archives for centuriesAccording to Dr Graham Moore of The National Archives, the Declaration was found folded inside the correspondence of Royal Navy Captain Thomas Fitzherbert. The papers first arrived in Plymouth in early 1777 before later being transferred to government offices in Whitehall, where they eventually became part of the national archive collection.Moore described the discovery as exceptionally rare because these printed copies were designed for quick circulation rather than long-term preservation."This is one of the rarest forms of the Declaration we know about," he said, explaining that the copies were intended to spread the news of independence swiftly as it reached each colony.Carefully restored for future generationsBefore going on display, conservation specialists carried out restoration work to stabilise the nearly 250-year-old paper and repair a minor tear, ensuring it can be safely handled and studied by researchers in the future.The document is now part of the exhibition "Revolution 250: America's Independence Story, 1763–1783" at The National Archives.

A volunteer at the National Archives in London found the document among other papers seized from an American ship in 1776.

The document was attached to a report detailing the capture of the American privateer Dalton on Christmas Eve, 1776

Michael Scurr, a volunteer for Britain’s National Archives, found a copy of the Declaration of Independence while going through letters from an 18th century Royal Navy captain.

Rare copy of US Declaration of Independence found by volunteer in UK archives  BBCTypos, traitors and a sea chase: tale of US declaration found in UK  The TimesRare Copy of the Declaration of Independence Is Discovered in London  The New York Times‘Vanishingly rare’ copy of US Declaration of Independence found by volunteer in UK archives  The GuardianUK finds lost US Declaration of Independence copy after 250 years  Financial Times

The newly discovered copy is one of only 11 of its kind in the world.

Michael Scurr, a volunteer at Britain’s National Archives, has discovered a rare early copy of the Declaration of Independence

Michael Scurr, a volunteer at Britain’s National Archives, has discovered a rare early copy of the Declaration of Independence

It is one of only 11 documents of its type in existence worldwide

One of 11 surviving copies of ‘Exeter printing’ and only one known outside US was taken from American privateer shipFor Michael Scurr, a volunteer at the National Archives in Kew, west London, it was “just a boring old Thursday morning” when he sat down in late May to catalogue a collection of documents from the British national collection that had never previously been recorded in detail.As he opened a volume of 18th-century Royal Navy correspondence, however, Scurr unfolded a document whose opening words he recognised. “In Congress, July 4, 1776. A declaration by the representatives of the United States of America …” Continue reading...