Rare U.S. Constitution Copy Sells For $9 Million

ASHEVILLE, NC – A rare, 237-year-old copy of the U.S. Constitution, originally printed for state ratification, was sold for $9 million at a private auction in Asheville on October 17. Brunk Auctions facilitated the sale of the document, which is believed to be the only privately owned copy of its kind. The buyer’s identity has not yet been disclosed.

The auction lasted just over seven minutes, with competitive bids placed primarily by phone in increments of $500,000. A pause occurred at $8.5 million before a final bid of $9 million closed the sale, AP reported.

Originally scheduled for September 28, the auction was postponed due to the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene, which severely impacted Asheville and western North Carolina.

This particular copy of the Constitution, printed in 1787 following the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention, was part of a set distributed to the states for ratification. It is one of about 100 copies printed by Charles Thomson, the secretary of the Confederation Congress, with just eight known to survive. The other seven are in public collections, making this document a rare privately-held example.

The document surfaced two years ago during the clearing of a property in Edenton, North Carolina, once owned by Samuel Johnston, who served as governor from 1787 to 1789 and presided over North Carolina’s ratification of the Constitution. The Constitution was discovered inside an old metal filing cabinet in a neglected room filled with furniture and dusty books, AP said.

The broadsheet, printed on both sides, includes a letter from George Washington urging the states to ratify the Constitution. Washington acknowledged the need for compromise and noted that certain state rights would have to be relinquished for the nation’s long-term stability.