US history buffs and "Hamilton" fans alike have the rare opportunity to buy a 237-year-old copy of the US Constitution, found inside a dusty filing cabinet, at an auction on Thursday.
The rare document was found in 2022 while a North Carolina plantation house previously occupied by the governor who ratified the Constitution in 1789, was being cleared to be sold. It was found under a can of wood stain in a dilapidated, two-door metal filing cabinet in an abandoned room filled with old chairs and bookcases, according to AP News.
AP News reported the copy is one of eight known to still exist and will be the only one that is privately owned after it is sold. Additionally, on the back of the document is a letter from George Washington asking for ratification of the document.
The last time a copy of the Constitution was sold was in 1891 and it was snagged for $400, which equals about $14,000 today. In 2021, Sotheby's broke a record when it sold a copy of the Constitution that was printed for the Continental Congress and delegates to the Constitutional Convention for $43.2 million.
Brunk Auctions is overseeing the sale, which will take off with a starting bid of $1 million.
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