Treasure Trove: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness

the Find
An original 1776 print of the American Declaration of Independence

the Lucky
An unidentified financial analyst from Philadelphia

the Place and the Time
A flea market in Adamstown, Pennsylvania. 1989.

How in the world!?
The document was folded inside an old painting, between the canvas and wood backing. The buyer bought the painting for $4, because he liked the frame. When he tried to remove the picture, the frame broke and the rest.. is history.

His discovery is one of the very first 500 copies printed by John Dunlap in 1776. Today, there are only 27 in existence and this one was found to be in good condition. It was auctioned for $2.42 million at Sotheby's.

Sources:
http://www.snopes.com/luck/declare.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunlap_broadside