One of the least known artifacts of American independence is the Syng inkstand, a 272-year-old object used by the founding fathers to sign the Declaration of Independence.
Among those who used the stand: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Hancock, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams and James Madison.
The silver inkstand was made by silversmith Philip Syng in 1752 for the provincial assembly of Pennsylvania. It holds a pounce pot, quill holder and inkpot. Pounce is a powder used to dry ink and to sprinkle on a vellum or parchment surface to make it smooth enough for writing.
Syng was born in Ireland, the son of a silversmith, and immigrated in 1714 to Maryland, later settling in Philadelphia. He married there and raised 18 children with his wife Elizabeth Warner. He died in Philadelphia in 1789 and is buried at Christ Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia, the same place as Benjamin Franklin and other early American notables.
The Syng inkstand is one of four objects that were used during the Constitutional Convention that still exist. The others are George Washington's chair, the Liberty Bell, and Independence Hall. The inkstand is on display at Independence Hall in Philadelphia.