Rare Copy of US Constitution Fetches $9 Million at Auction
A rare 237-year-old copy of the US Constitution has been sold for $9 million at an auction, following its discovery in an old filing cabinet in North Carolina. The historic document, printed in 1787 after the Constitutional Convention, was uncovered in 2022 at a former plantation once owned by Samuel Johnston, a former North Carolina governor.
The auction, held in Asheville, lasted just seven minutes, with bids increasing in $50,000 increments. The identity of the buyer, who placed bids by phone, remains unknown. Only eight copies of the Constitution from this period are known to exist, with seven held in public collections.
Accompanying the Constitution was a letter signed by George Washington, urging states to ratify the document. The letter highlights the balance between individual rights and the common good, stating, “Individuals entering into society must give up a share of liberty to preserve the rest.”
The discovery of this valuable historical artifact comes decades after another significant document from the same property—a copy of the Declaration of Independence—was sold for $412,500 in 1983. Despite that sale, this copy of the Constitution remained hidden until its unearthing in 2022.
The auction had been delayed due to Hurricane Helene, which caused significant damage in the region last month.
