This Forgotten Copy of the Constitution Discovered in a Filing Cabinet Could Sell for Millions

A long-lost copy of the United States Constitution rediscovered in a filing cabinet is about to go under the hammer. The document is one of around 100 copies ordered on September 28, 1787—only eight of which are known to have survived.

The document resurfaced two years ago during an estate cleanout at Hayes Farm in North Carolina, buried among strewn-about chairs and a worn bookcase. The text once belonged to Samuel Johnston, who served as North Carolina’s governor from 1787 to 1789.

“It has been a whirlwind—an incredibly exciting moment for the auction house,” Nan Zander, Brunk Auctions’ fine art specialist, tells Artnet’s Richard Whiddington. “We always check on the rarity and authenticity of documents, but when it is this rare, the game steps up exponentially. It’s the prize of all prizes for rare historic documents, and the sky is the limit as far as bidding goes.”

The historic text bears the signature of Charles Thomson, the secretary of Congress, who ordered the 100 copies. He signed a handful of them, which were then sent to the original 13 states to begin the ratification process.

“James Madison wrote that the Constitution ‘was nothing more than [the] draft of a plan, nothing but a dead letter, until life and validity were breathed into it by the voice of the people, speaking through [the] several state conventions,’” says auctioneer Andrew Brunk in a statement.

Brunk adds, “This simple-looking version is what started breathing life into the Constitution.”

Online bidding began at $1 million, and the final sale will take place on September 28. According to the item’s lot listing, the document is in “good overall” condition with “expected wear,” such as “light staining.”

“I get calls every week from people who think they have a Declaration of Independence or a Gettysburg Address, and most of the time it is just a replica, but every so often something important gets found,” Seth Kaller, a historical document expert and collector, tells the Associated Press’ Jeffrey Collins.

“This is a whole other level of importance,” he adds.

Given the artifact’s rarity, it’s unclear how high bidding could go. In 2021, Sotheby’s sold a different copy of the Constitution—a rare first printing made for the Continental Congress and delegates to the Constitutional Convention, per the AP—for a record-breaking $43.2 million.

However, auction house officials think the version up for sale this fall could potentially fetch even more.

The $43.2 million copy is “no more important” than the newly discovered text, Kaller tells CBS News Philadelphia’s Joe Brandt. “It wouldn’t surprise us that it could go for $20 million or so. It could be less; it could be more.”

History buffs were able to see the rare edition of the Constitution during a short window on September 13 at Federal Hall National Memorial in New York. The document will be sold with a collection of other historic items, including a first draft of the Articles of Confederation from 1776.

Julia Binswanger | READ MORE

Julia Binswanger is a freelance arts and culture reporter based in Chicago. Her work has been featured in WBEZ, Chicago magazine, Rebellious magazine and PC magazine.