
A rare copy of the U.S. Constitution, forgotten in a filing cabinet in North Carolina, has just sold for over $11 million at auction. The incredible discovery and sale took only seven minutes, with bids pouring in fast for this historic document.
At a Glance:
- A rare copy of the U.S. Constitution found in a North Carolina filing cabinet sold for over $11 million, including buyer’s premium.
- The nearly 237-year-old document was found on an old plantation once owned by a former North Carolina governor.
- This document is one of the few remaining copies of the Constitution printed for state ratification.
The rare find was uncovered in 2022 inside a metal filing cabinet at Hayes Farm, a 184-acre plantation in Edenton, North Carolina. The farm, once owned by North Carolina Governor Samuel Johnston (1787-1789), was being emptied out to be transformed into a public historical site when the Constitution was discovered.
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Bidding at the Brunk Auctions in Asheville, North Carolina, was fierce, with bids coming in at $500,000 intervals. Most of the bids were placed by phone, but one determined buyer attended the auction in person. The final price, including the buyer’s premium, totaled $11,070,000, though the identity of the winning bidder remains anonymous.
“This document went from a forgotten filing cabinet to selling for millions at auction. What a journey,” auction house owner Andrew Brunk said.
The 1787 document is one of the few remaining copies printed for ratification after Congress finalized the Constitution following a heated debate in what is now the Federal Hall National Memorial in New York City. Only a handful of these copies still exist, making this a rare and priceless piece of American history.