Harvard University paid $ 26 for a “cheap version” of Magna Carta – it is back away from the original millions

In 1946, Harvard bought what they believed was a cheap version of Magna Carta for $ 25.70. It turned out to be a screaming deal, because the document is in fact a rare version in the early fourteenth century, whose value is estimated at millions.

The document was buried in the Harvard Faculty of Law Library Archives until 2023, when David Carpenter, Middle Ages Professor at Kings College London, identified while looking at the library website.

in statement From Harvard’s Law Faculty, Carpenter described the document as “a wonderful testimony on an essential stage in political development in England” and “one of the most valuable documents in the world.”

Carpenter was studying informal copies of Magna Carta when he discovered a sudden discovery. It was classified as HLS MS 172 in the digital archives of Harvard Law Library, the document was described as a copy of 1327 Magna Carta “Rub some extent and moisture stained.”

Carpenter immediately realized that the alleged version may actually be an official version. Recruits with the help of Nicholas Vincent, a professor of medieval studies at East Anglia University, to verify the document. Researchers used photos taken by Harvard University librarians with UV light and spectral imaging to compare HLS MS 172 text with other original copies of Magna Carta from 1300.

Carpeter and Vincent Research revealed that the HLS MS 172 dimensions were consistent with those in the original copies. Handwriting was also similar, as the large capital “E” was initially in “Edwardus” and prolonged messages in the first line.

Magna Carta, which was formulated by King John in 1215, was the first document to write the principle that the kings were not above the law. It is widely considered a basic symbol of freedom and one of the first human rights advertisements. The document has affected many constitutions, including US documents.

With official copies of Magna Carta Go, the document that is discovered is particularly distinctive. Five other versions were written after the original in 1215. HLS MS 172 is a copy of the last version to be declared by the king’s seal by King Edward I, in 1300. There are only six other official copies of the 1300 edition known to be still present.

Its discovery is particularly influential as Harvard faces extensively financing and political pressure discounts. “The source of this document is great. Given its place, given the current problems on freedoms, about the feeling of constitutional traditions in America, you cannot create a great source of this,” Carbnter said in a statement.