DONALD Trump was shown an old Sussex artefact during his state visit yesterday.

A rare copy of the US Declaration of Independence was found in the county and has been held in the West Sussex County Archives in Chichester since 1956.

And yesterday the document was displayed at 10 Downing Street during the American president’s visit.

The Declaration of Sussex is one of only two contemporary handwritten ceremonial parchment manuscript copies of the historic document.

The other which is signed, is held in the National Archives in Washington DC.

Harvard University uncovered the full significance of the document, which is in the West Sussex Record Office, a service run by West Sussex County Council to hold and protect the county’s archives.

County archivist Wendy Walker delivered a short presentation to Prime Minister Theresa May and president Trump at 10 Downing Street yesterday about the document and its historical significance.

She said: “It is a huge privilege to speak to the president about this important piece of West Sussex history.

“It further demonstrates the close ties between the UK and the US spanning more than three centuries.

“Donald Trump seemed very interested and asked a lot of questions.

“This document has the names of the founding fathers who put their names to the Declaration of Independence and who went on to be the first presidents and there I was showing it to the president today.

“It couldn’t have gone any better.”

The two countries are to explore options for the document, on loan from the West Sussex Record Office, to form part of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, potentially by allowing it to travel to the US.

The same document was shown to Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, during their first official visit to West Sussex last October.

Great efforts were taken to transport the document from the Record Office in Chichester to Downing Street this week.

A conservation expert from the National Conservation Service was involved and a specially designed exhibition case, previously used for the Magna Carta, was loaned by Hereford Cathedral Perpetual Trust to display the historic document.

Louise Goldsmith, leader of West Sussex County Council, said: “West Sussex County Council is the guardian of the county’s history and we are all so proud of the considerable work the Record Office does to protect, conserve and preserve the heritage of West Sussex.

“The significance of the Sussex Declaration should not be underestimated and we are thrilled it has helped in demonstrating the country’s transatlantic ties.

“It’s a historical treasure that we are very honoured to house.”