A rare copy of the United States Declaration of Independence was found in the Kew Archives, in the Richmond Borough of Surrey, England.

The document, which is in perfect condition, is believed to be one of only 200 ever printed and was found among files at the National Archives in Kew, a village in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in South West London.

Researchers have learned that it was discovered by an American antiquarian bookseller carrying out research. The Dunlap print of the declaration was printed on July 4, 1776 and brings the total of known surviving copies worldwide to 26.

The last discovery of a Dunlap print was at a flea market in 1989, and it sold at auction in 2000 for $8.14 million. The prints, known collectively as the Dunlap Broadside, were the first copies of the Declaration of Independence. They were printed by John Dunlap of Philadelphia and distributed to political and military leaders, including George Washington, and dispatched throughout the colonies to be read to the public.

Edward Hampshire, the diplomatic and colonial specialist at the National Archives, said, “This is an incredibly exciting find. The Declaration of Independence is effectively America’s birth certificate, making it one of the seminal documents in world history. It is likely that only around 200 of these were ever printed, so uncovering a new one nearly 250 years later is extremely rare, especially one in such good condition.”

National Archives officials said they weren’t sure how the Declaration of Independence copy ended up there.

Archives spokeswoman Frances McDarby said it was “possible that an American coastal vessel was intercepted by the British navy and that is how the document was able to come into our possession.” The find was announced only after it could be properly cataloged.