A unique auction event is set to take place on Thursday evening in North Carolina, featuring a rare copy of the U.S. Constitution printed 237 years ago. Brunk Auctions will be facilitating the auction of this historic document, believed to be the only one of its kind in private possession. With a minimum bid of $1 million already placed, there is no set minimum price that must be met.
This particular copy of the Constitution was produced following the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention in 1787. It was then sent to the Congress of the original American government under the Articles of Confederation for ratification by the states. The document was one of approximately 100 copies printed by Charles Thomson, the secretary of that Congress. Only eight copies are known to still exist, with the remaining seven being publicly owned.
It is speculated that Thomson signed two copies for each of the original 13 states, essentially authenticating them. The journey of the document up for auction from Thomson’s signature to the present day remains a mystery.
Two years ago, the copy was discovered in Edenton, North Carolina, inside a neglected room within a property once owned by Samuel Johnston, the state’s former governor. Found in a metal filing cabinet, the document was a folded broadsheet containing the Constitution and a letter from George Washington urging ratification and compromise.
Part of a 1787 copy of the U.S. Constitution that will be put up for auction at Brunk Auctions in Asheville, N.C., on Sept. 5, 2024. Jeffrey Collins/AP Photo
Due to the scarcity of comparable items, the potential value of this historic document at auction remains uncertain. The last known sale of a similar Constitution copy was for $400 in 1891. In a recent auction by Sotheby’s in 2021, a copy of the Constitution printed for the Continental Congress and delegates to the Constitutional Convention fetched a record-breaking $43.2 million.
Additional items up for auction in Asheville include a 1776 first draft of the Articles of Confederation and a 1788 Journal of the Convention of North Carolina at Hillsborough, shedding light on the debates surrounding the Constitution’s ratification process.
The original auction date of Sept. 28 was postponed due to the impact of Hurricane Helene in the region. The event promises to be a significant moment in history for collectors and enthusiasts alike.
By Jeffrey Collins
