Rare copy of US Constitution found inside old filing cabinet to hit auction block

An original printed archetype of the United States Constitution, signed by Secretary of Congress Charles Thomson, was found at a North Carolina plantation.

The revolutionary document was discovered in 2022 at Hayes Farm, in Edenton.

It will be auctioned off in Asheville, North Carolina, by Brunk Auctions.

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The rare piece of history was pulled from an old filing cabinet while the house was being prepared for sale in North Carolina to transform the plantation into a public historic site, according to Brunk Auctions' press release.

The 184-acre plantation property was originally purchased by former North Carolina Governor Samuel Johnston in 1765, according to the release.

The document is one of only eight known surviving signed ratification copies and the only known copy in private hands.

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"James Madison wrote that the Constitution was nothing more than a 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 several State Conventions," said auctioneer Andrew Brunk in the release.

The bidding will start at $1 million but is expected to sell for much more. 

"This is a unique opportunity to own a cornerstone of our democracy, particularly at this time in our nation’s history. It also reminds us of the crucial role New York played in the founding of America," Seth Kaller, a historical document expert who is collaborating with Brunk, said.

The last and only other recorded sale of a similar document was in 1891, according to Brunk Auctions.

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The rare document will be sold at Brunk Auctions on Sept. 28 to align with the 237th anniversary of the day Congress passed the ratification resolution.

The public is welcome to view the piece of American History at the location where the Confederation Congress met in 1787 and resolved to send the Constitution to the States for ratification.

It will be on display on Friday, Sept. 13, from 1:00 – 4:30 PM at Federal Hall National Memorial at 26 Wall Street in New York, New York.