The copperplate may originally have been in the hands of the sitter or his family, since various impressions have calligraphy by Coppenol in the lower margin or in the blank space. The plate later appeared in the sale by Claude-Henri Watelet (1786). It then became part of the set of plates subsequently owned and used for printing Recueils by Pierre-François Basan, Henri-Louis Basan (his nr 1439), Auguste Jean (ca 1809), Veuve Jean, Auguste and Michel Bernard (1846) and Robert Lee Humber (1937). It was sold at the Artemis sale in London (1993) and is now in the Fondation Custodia (Lugt collection) in Paris.

Coppenol (1598- after 1667) was a master at the French school and later ran a school at the Singel.
He was also an important calligrapher, who travelled through the country to show his art.
In the first seven states this etching is by far the largest etched portrait.

There is an oil sketch of Coppenol which was for a long time considered not to be by Rembrandt. Ernst van de Wetering reversed that opinion. (Corpus VI 260, Bredius 291, in the Metropolitan Museum in New York),

There are four copies in the same direction. Copy A is by Pierre François Basan, included in his Recueil. In the 1^st state of this copy the background is white, in the 2^nd state it is dark (362 x 304 mm). Copy B is by Pitrucci (144 x 116 mm). Copy C is by William Morley (342 x 295 mm). A copy by Denon is not listed in NH (323 x 281 mm).

The etching is considered as special by Wilson.
The plate is not by Rembrandt according to Singer.

NH lists nine states, of which the final two not by Rembrandt. The 4th and 7th state are ‘new’ ones. Most other authors list six states, Nowell-Usticke lists eleven states, from his 3th state there are later impressions by Watelet, P. Basan, Basan, Jean, Bernard and Beaumont.
In the 1st state (NH, WB, BB, R763, H, NU) the background is white.
In the 2nd state (NH, WB, BB, R764, H, NU) the background is completely filled in with a curtain. In later impressions there are descending lines on the curtain.
In the 3rd state (NH, WB, BB, R765, H, NU) there is strong shading across the right arm and right cuff. The right edge of the curtain is strongly outlined. Many more changes are listed in NH.
In the 4th state (NH only) the outline between the left elbow and the cumberband is changed from concave in convex.
In the 5th state (NH/4th state WB, BB, R766, H, NU) there are long descending lines added to the upper fold of the curtain at right.
In the 6th state (NH/5th state WB, BB, R767, H, NU) a pair of descending lines is added to the left of the second fold of the curtain.
In the 7th state (NH only) additional curved, vertical lines are added in the upper right corner to the left of the lines added in the 5th state.
In the 8th state (NH/6th state WB final, BB, R, H/9th state NU, P and H.Basan) the plate is cut to 159 x 133 mm leaving the head only with a 16 mm margin at the foot.
In the 9th state (NH/10th state NU Jean, Bernard) the plate is entirely retouched and rebitten.
In the 11th state (NU Bernard, Beaumont) the entire plate is skilfully retouched. The face is now very strong and sharp, the background very black.
The 6th, 7th and 8th state of NU are difficult to match with those of NH and WB.

All impressions of the 1st and 2nd state are on Japanese paper, except for two on vellum.
Most impressions of the 3rd and 4th state are also on Japanese paper.
Nowell-Usticke considers the impressions in the Recueil de Basan, to be quite strong.

In the 3rd state: Strasbourg lily with 4WR (c, 1658);
In the 4th and 5th state: IHS (2 ed., c. 1658);
In the 5th state: Strasbourg Lily;
In the 6th state: IHS (c. 1658);
In the 7th state: Dovecot A.a; IHS (3 ed. of which 2 c. 1658);
In the 7th and 8th state: Various later ones (> 1742);

H 300, BB 58-F, G 263, M 174, Mz , RA 763-770, Cl 280, W 285, Bl 175, Du 258, CD 257, S 129.
Rembrandt’s paintings revisited 2017, p. 645;