A rare, 237-year-old copy of the United States Constitution has been sold to an anonymous buyer for a staggering $9 million. The document was auctioned by Brunk Auctions in Asheville, North Carolina, on October 17, 2024. Bidding began at $1.1 million and quickly soared to the final price in just seven minutes.
This document holds special historical significance for several reasons. It is one of only eight known copies remaining from the 100 that Charles Thomson, the secretary of Congress, ordered after the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Held in Philadelphia from May 25 to September 17, this meeting gathered delegates from various states to draft the US Constitution. Additionally, this copy is the only one privately owned. It is also one of the few signed by Thomson before being sent to the governors of the original 13 states for ratification.
The pristinely-preserved document was found in 2022 inside a filing cabinet in a house once owned by Samuel Johnston. As governor of North Carolina from 1787 to 1789, Johnston oversaw the ratification of the Constitution in his state. The draft also includes a note from the nation's first president, George Washington, urging states to approve the Constitution. In his letter, Washington recognized that states would need to compromise and give up some of their rights for the country’s long-term well-being.
"This [document] is the point of connection between the government and the people. The Preamble — 'we the people' — this is the moment the government is asking people to empower them," said auctioneer Andrew Brunk.
This is not the first time a copy of the US Constitution has fetched millions. In 2021, Sotheby’s in New York sold an even rarer version for $43.2 million. It set a new record for the highest price paid for any book or document. That copy is one of only 11 known to exist from the first printing of the final text of the Constitution. It was produced for the delegates of the 1787 Constitutional Convention.
Resources: Smithsonianmag.com, CNN.com, BrunkAuctions.com
