July 4th 1776 is a date that changed the world. It is a day that declared the birth of a great nation and enshrined the rights of a free and independent people. The United States of America is the world’s largest and greatest democracy, a nation that has shaped the world of today.

Adopted by the Continental Congress on 4th July 1776, the Declaration of Independence announced that the thirteen American colonies, which were then at war with Great Britain, were independent states, and thus no longer part of the British Empire. Written principally by Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration justified the independence of the United States by listing colonial grievances against King George III, and by asserting certain natural rights, including a right of revolution. The declaration famously makes a statement of individual human rights: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”

This famous wording now represents for many a moral standard for which the United States should strive. This view influenced Abraham Lincoln, who considered the Declaration to be the foundation of his political philosophy and who promoted the idea that the Declaration is a statement of principles through which the United States Constitution should be interpreted.

The Visconti ‘Declaration of Independence’ fountain pen It is appropriate that Visconti pays tribute to this most important of dates with a unique limited edition fountain pen since a pen was used for signatory to the statement. It is therefore a pen that we will use to remember that date.

Visconti uses their sophisticated scrimshaw technique to replicate the full text of the Declaration of Independence into the barrel of the pen. The writing is small, just large enough to be legible to the naked eye but still small enough to leave room to inscribe the founding Fathers who drafted the act. A specially engraved magnifying glass is included with each pen to pay closer attention to the intricate details.

All trims are made of aged sterling silver * and are elaborately ornate. The blind cap is engraved with the American bald eagle, a symbol of Freedom. Inside the pen is a very special surprise: the mechanism of the plunger is operated by the Liberty Bell, an iconic symbol of American Independence.

The pen and magnifying glass are packaged together with a scroll in a special collector’s edition box made from American walnut wood. The top of the box is made from leather and is engraved with the names of the signatories from the historic act.