Twenty-six copies of John Dunlap's first printed Declaration of Independence broadsides are known to survive.
Dunlap printed about 200 broadsides in Philadelphia on the night of July 4, 1776, after Congress approved the Declaration. These large single-sheet prints were sent to colonial governments, military leaders, and other recipients so the text could be read and reproduced quickly.
The surviving examples are known as Dunlap broadsides. They are not the same as the engrossed parchment copy signed by delegates, which was prepared later and is now displayed at the National Archives. The broadside was a printed public version, while the parchment was the ceremonial signed document.
The number 26 includes a copy discovered at the National Archives in England in 2009. Because only a small fraction of the original printing survives, authentic Dunlap broadsides are among the most valuable documents associated with American independence.