Hi hobferret:
The "Original" Declaration of Independence, was affirmatively voted on on July 4, 1776, but the New York delegation was required to abstain, and the Declaration was not signed on that day. Later that same day, Congress ordered the printing of between 200-500 "Broadsides" of the Declaration for distribution among the Colonies. Neither the "original" document or the Broadsides were signed.
The New York Resolution was laid before the Continental Congress on July 15th so then and not before was it proper to entitle the document "The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen States of America." Contrary to popular belief, the printed Broadside with only Hancock and Thomson's names was the actual document delivered to King George III in England later that year. The names of the other delegates who voted for Independence were not published until 1777.
On July 19, 1776 Congress ordered that the Declaration be "fairly engrossed on parchment, with the title and stile [sic] of 'The unanimous declaration of the thirteen United States of America,' and that the same, when engrossed, be signed by every member of Congress." This "handwritten" copy of the "Original" was the one signed by 56 members of the Continental Congress. It is believed that this signed "copy" is the "only" handwritten copy of the "original" document and, therefore, the only "copy" of the "original."
The "original" document was eventually lost and the "signed copy" is the one on display in Washington. That "copy" is severely faded, unlike the one shown in the movie, because of poor early preservation techniques and a "wet ink transfer" process used to attempt to make additional printed "copies" of the "original signed" document in 1820.
The 201 "official" parchment printed copies struck from the William J. Stone plate carry the identification "Engraved by W. J. Stone for the Department of State, by order" in the upper left corner followed by "of J. Q. Adams, Sec. of State July 4th 1824." in the upper right corner. "Unofficial" copies that were struck later do not have the identification at the top of the document or are printed on vellum. Instead the engraver identified his work by engraving "W. J. Stone SC. Washn." near the lower left corner and burnishing out the earlier identification. Today 31 of the 201 Stone facsimiles printed in 1823 are known to exist.
http://www.thedeclarationofindependence.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence
That said, "the original copy," to the extent that usage may be correct, would have to apply only to the handwritten document signed on July 19, 1776. All the other "copies" are "prints" and would not appear to merit the term "copies" because none of them are handwritten, although they are, indeed, ink transfer printed "copies" of the "original."
I did, indeed watch the program showing the unearthing of the "Spitfire that Saved London." Fortunately, Britian's original Kamikaze survived his ramming of the German bomber.
I "assume" JuneMouse is male, because of the use of the word "gonna" in the Post. Based on empirical evidence, most female writers are more careful with their use of grammar and casual slang. But I am open to the possibility it was a "deliberate" effort at gender concealment.
By the way, if you have an "original" Broadside, the last one found sold for slightly over $8 million dollars.
Regards,