Help Identifying This Franklin

I recently bought a small lot of confederate stamps and covers. This piece of paper was mixed in with the lot, and I cannot figure out what it is or its use was. I really don't understand the dates of 1776 and 1862, and its relationship to Ben Franklin. I thought it might have had some Confederacy significance because it was included in the lot. There is a small "DOVE" watermark at the top left.

Is it a cover ? a piece or stationery?

Just a guess, but it may allude to Franklin's answer to Mrs. Powell when asked whether the new government was a monarchy or a republic. He replied "a republic, if you can keep it." Another guess as to why 1862 would be the introduction of the bill to authorize Lincoln's suspension of habeas corpus in December 1862, and which became law in January 1863. The "fractured" typescript of Franklin's name might also symbolize this view of the "republic" ending in 1862.

Basil

There might be some meaning in the letters that are disconnected?

Peter

Peter,

My theory about the letters being "fractured" is that it represents the "fracturing" of the "republic."

Basil

The paper doesn't look very aged to me. Curious how it is lined. Can you post a highly 'zoomed' in view of the ink used? (To see if we can better understand the printing method?) Wonder why the '6' in 1776 is obviously higher the other numbers.

Letters "fractured" because it was printed with two passes (one for each color) and the alignment was badly off?
Don

Basil, that was exactly my way of thinking.

Peter

If the mis-alignment was intentional, why is there overlap? What is that one piece of red indicated here? Seems to point to a bad print job in my mind.



What clues have you guys thinking that paper and printing comes form the mid-1800s? I am thinking it is much later.
Don

It looks like a cut-out of a lined stationery page that has this printed at the top. The colors are the common Patriotic envelope colors of the era. I think this could be well within the 1860's.

Agree. It's a piece of civil war patriotic stationery, commonly sold together with patriotic envelopes.