Rare 1787 US Constitution copy goes up for auction

Oct 17

Karah Rucker Anchor

By Karah Rucker (Anchor), Mirlie Larose (Producer), Ian Kennedy (Video Editor)

A rare 237-year-old copy of the U.S. Constitution is up for auction in North Carolina, with bids already starting at $1 million. Brunk Auctions is handling the sale of the document, believed to be the only privately owned copy of its kind. There is no reserve price set for the auction.

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This particular copy was printed in 1787 after the Constitutional Convention completed its draft of the nation’s framework. It was then sent to Congress under the Articles of Confederation, requesting that the states ratify it.

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Charles Thomson, the secretary of Congress, printed about 100 copies of the document. Only eight are known to still exist, with the other seven held in public collections.

The history of this specific copy remains unclear. Thomson likely signed two copies for each of the original 13 states, but the whereabouts of this document over the centuries is largely unknown. It resurfaced just two years ago in Edenton, North Carolina, during the clearing of a property once owned by Samuel Johnston, North Carolina’s governor in the late 1780s.

The Constitution was found in a metal filing cabinet in a neglected room filled with old furniture.

Along with the Constitution, the document included a letter from George Washington, urging states to ratify the document and noting the need for compromise to secure the nation’s future.

Auction officials have not estimated what the final sale price might be, as few similar sales offer comparison.

The last time a comparable copy of the Constitution sold was in 1891 for $400. However, in 2021, Sotheby’s auctioned a different copy, printed for the Continental Congress, for $43.2 million, setting a record for a book or document.

Other historic items up for auction include a first draft of the 1776 Articles of Confederation and a journal from North Carolina’s 1788 convention, where representatives debated whether to ratify the Constitution.

Tags: Auction, Constitution, History, North Carolina, U.S. Congress

Karah Rucker

A RARE PIECE OF AMERICAN HISTORY IS UP FOR AUCTION IN NORTH CAROLINA–A TWO-HUNDRED-37-YEAR OLD COPY OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION.

BRUNK AUCTIONS IS SELLING A ONE-OF-A-KIND COPY OF THE CONSTITUTION, ORIGINALLY PRINTED IN 17-87.

THIS PARTICULAR DOCUMENT IS BELIEVED TO BE THE ONLY PRIVATELY-OWNED COPY OF ITS KIND.

BIDDING HAS ALREADY STARTED, WITH A MINIMUM BID OF ONE MILLION DOLLARS ON THE TABLE, AND THERE’S NO SET RESERVE PRICE.

THIS COPY WAS PRINTED AFTER THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION FINISHED DRAFTING THE FRAMEWORK OF THE NATION’S GOVERNMENT.

IT WAS THEN SENT TO CONGRESS UNDER THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION, REQUESTING THAT THE STATES RATIFY IT.

ONLY ONE-HUNDRED OF THESE COPIES WERE PRINTED BY CHARLES THOMSON, THE SECRETARY OF CONGRESS AT THE TIME, AND JUST EIGHT ARE KNOWN TO STILL EXIST.

THE OTHER SEVEN COPIES? THEY’RE ALL IN PUBLIC COLLECTIONS.

NOW, THE STORY BEHIND THIS PARTICULAR DOCUMENT IS A BIT OF A MYSTERY.

WE KNOW THOMSON SIGNED TWO COPIES FOR EACH OF THE ORIGINAL 13 STATES, BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS COPY OVER THE CENTURIES REMAINS UNCLEAR.

IT RESURFACED ONLY TWO YEARS AGO, IN EDENTON, NORTH CAROLINA, WHILE A PROPERTY ONCE OWNED BY SAMUEL JOHNSON–THE STATE’S GOVERNOR IN THE LATE 1780S—WAS BEING CLEARED OUT.

THE CONSTITUTION WAS FOUND IN AN OLD METAL FILING CABINET IN A NEGLECTED ROOM FILLED WITH DUSTY FURNITURE.

ALONGSIDE IT WAS A LETTER FROM GEORGE WASHINGTON HIMSELF, URGING THE STATES TO RATIFY THE DOCUMENT, NOTING THAT COMPROMISES WOULD BE NECESSARY FOR THE NATION’S FUTURE.

AS FOR ITS VALUE?

THERE’S LITTLE TO COMPARE TO IT, SINCE THE LAST TIME A SIMILAR COPY SOLD WAS IN 1891 FOR JUST FOUR-HUNDRED-DOLLARS. BUT IN 2021, SOTHEBY’S AUCTIONED OFF A DIFFERENT COPY OF THE CONSTITUTION–PRINTED FOR THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS–AND IT FETCHED A STAGGERING 43-POINT-TWO-MILLION-DOLLARS.

OTHER HISTORIC ITEMS UP FOR AUCTION INCLUDE A FIRST DRAFT OF THE 1776 ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION AND A JOURNAL FROM NORTH CAROLINA’S 1788 CONVENTION.

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I’M KARAH RUCKER