Across the country, there has been broad political discontent with talk of a dictatorship and a lack of accountability on the part of a national leader. People want assurance the one in power and their government will not be untouchable and will be accountable to the law.
I’m not referring to the United States or our 2024 election. Rather, it was in England in 1215 when King John agreed to the Magna Carta. It protected the rights and property of barons from a tyrannical leader. The king signed the charter to avoid a civil war. The barons got what they wanted until it was annulled a mere two months later by Pope Innocent III. Civil war followed....
Some 570 years later, in 1788, a group of colonial legislators representing colonists crafted a document with similar intent. That was the US Constitution. While the Magna Carta lasted only weeks and was eventually whittled apart, our Constitution remains the world's longest surviving written agreement of government, existing to serve its citizens. The first three words, “We The People…” underscore its intent.
The US Constitution and the Magna Carta have other things in common. It’s said our Bill of Rights – a key part of the Constitution – was crafted based on the Magna Carta. More tangibly and topically, original copies of both documents are worth a King’s fortune. There is current proof of that.
A few years ago, a clerk/archivist in the hamlet of Sandwich, England was leafing through a scrapbook looking for something entirely arbitrary when he stumbled across a folded and very old document tucked inside. Upon closer examination, the manuscript (in notably terrible condition) proved to be an actual rare copy of the Magna Carta made in 1300.
Examples of the famous document are exceedingly scarce. Only 24 specimens originally crafted by the Archbishop of Canterbury are known to exist in the world. Even in torn and tattered condition, the estimate for the recently found example exceeds $15 million.
As much as some collectors would love to own it, village authorities in Sandwich have stated they probably won’t sell the piece. Rather, they would like to use it as a tourist attraction.
But, don’t give up hope. For anyone wishing such a piece of history, Professor Nicholas Vincent, connected to the University of East Anglia who authenticated the find, has stated, “it is very likely that there are one or two out there somewhere that no one has spotted yet." The hunt continues.
On this side of the pond, there was equal excitement over another document discovered, this time in Asheville, NC, recently devastated by hurricane Helene. This document in question was significant as it arrived in North Carolina in 1787. It was an original copy of the US Constitution.
Then-congressional secretary Charles Thompson made 100 copies of the groundbreaking Constitution to be reviewed and signed by leaders in the various colonies. He sent several to North Carolina, as he did the other original states. Over the centuries, most naturally disappeared.
A few years ago, in a home once owned by North Carolina colonial Governor Samuel Johnston (1787-1789) people were cleaning out a storage area. In the drawer of a metal cabinet, piled high with junk and a can of wood stain, some old papers were found. Yes. Among them was one of the original Constitution documents. It was the one sent to Johnston for his review and approval.
To increase the probability of passage, accompanying the piece was a printed letter from George Washington encouraging the colonists to endorse the new charter. Because the Constitution would remove power from some states and give the Federal government more power, some states, including North Carolina, were initially reluctant to ratify it. In the end, they did.
The recently found copy is believed to be the only one in private hands. A very few others are owned by museums. Of course, as with the Magna Carta, it is believed there well may be other examples tucked away in New England attics or basements.
Is it worth taking a closer look to find one? Just weeks ago, that one North Carolina specimen of the Constitution sold at auction for $9 million. In any state, that’s a figure “we the people” will always get excited about and endorse.
For more collecting information and advice, log on to: http://prexford.com/.