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A rare copy of the US Constitution that was printed shortly after the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and played a role in the document’s adoption by the original 13 states sold for more than $11 million during a live auction Thursday evening.
The high bid, from a buyer whose identity was not disclosed, was $9 million. That does not include the buyer’s premium of 23 per cent or the taxes, which were not disclosed.
The sale was handled by Brunk Auctions, which is based in Asheville, North Carolina. Bidding began at $1.1 million but quickly jumped to $5 million. It took just over seven minutes before the bidding closed at $9 million, said Nancy Zander, director of external affairs for Brunk Auctions.
“It was a spectacular price,” Zander said in an interview Friday night. “It’s really important that important things get strong prices.”
The copy of the Constitution was found two years ago in a filing cabinet in the house at Hayes, a farm once owned by Samuel Johnston, who served as governor of North Carolina from December 1787 to December 1789.
After the Constitutional Convention and after Congress added a ratification resolution, copies were sent to the governors of the original 13 states, who then gauged interest among their residents. Among those copies was the one sold Thursday.
Thursday’s auction had been scheduled for Sept. 28. But Hurricane Helene, which caused immense destruction in Asheville, forced a postponement. The auction house and its employees were largely unharmed by the flooding, Zander said. But the gallery remained closed to the public Thursday, and bidders called into the auction house.