Historic U.S. Constitution Copy Heads to Auction in North Carolina

A rare 237-year-old copy of the U.S. Constitution, printed and sent for ratification, is up for auction in North Carolina. Discovered in an abandoned property, this unique document features a letter from George Washington. Auction sales could reach uncharted figures given its historical significance and scarcity.

A 237-year-old rare copy of the U.S. Constitution is set to go under the hammer Thursday evening in North Carolina. Brunk Auctions will be handling the sale of this unique piece, the only privately-owned copy, with a minimum bid already placed at $1 million. Notably, there's no set minimum price for the final sale.

This historical document, printed post-Constitutional Convention in 1787, was distributed for state ratification alongside a letter from George Washington. Of the 100 initially printed by Congressional Secretary Charles Thomson, only eight remain, with all others in public hands.

The copy was recently discovered during the clearing of a property once owned by North Carolina's former governor, Samuel Johnston. As auction officials weigh its potential value, historical sales provide little insight; the last similar sale occurred in 1891 for just $400, while a different copy fetched $43.2 million at Sotheby’s in 2021.

(With inputs from agencies.)