A rare copy of the first American constitution will be auctioned off by Sotheby’s

At 234, the Constitution of the United States is the world’s oldest and longest written Magna Carta. In February 1787, the Continental Congress, the first incarnation of the American government, convened a conference in Philadelphia to edit the Confederates’ articles, the country’s highest law ever considered by lawmakers useless. Written in secret, under the supervision of then-President George Washington, the document legitimized the promise of independence and marked the final step in transforming the British colony into a nation. After creating two drafts, the official printers prepared 500 copies of the document and distributed it to the delegates of the Constituent Assembly. Only eleven of them remain, and only one of them is part of the private collection. This copy will be auctioned off in Sotheby’s, New York, in November.

Experts say the first impression of the American Constitution is rarer than the Declaration of Independence, which is one of the few historical documents that can be compared in terms of meaning and symbolism. The printed six pages contain seven original articles that cover the structure of the new U.S. government and its powers, its relationship with the states, and the procedures for proposing amendments – not included in the Bill of Rights with the First Ten Amendments of 1791. Although not signed, the text, approved by the states in 1788 and coming into force next year, includes a list of delegates to the Constituent Assembly and a letter from Washington to the Continental Congress.

The document, valued at $ 15 million to $ 20 million, is part of the Dorothy Tapper Goldman collection. New York real estate developer and collector of signatures, historical documents and manuscripts, her husband S. He received it in 1997 after the death of Howard Goldman. He bought the constitution at auction in Sotheby’s in 1988 for about $ 165,000 – a year before it was unveiled in the Supreme Court for the bicentennial of the charter. Proud of his collection, he exhibited it in companies across the country. Proceeds from the sale will go to a widow-named trust dedicated to promoting the study of American democracy.

Inspired by her husband’s interest, Dorothy expanded the collection by obtaining other memorabilia, including documents documenting the approval of the new charter and the need for rights legislation. There are several U.S. constitutions in this collection, each of which has one U.S. federal agency – yes, the U.S. system allows state charters. As part of this collection, about eighty documents will be put up for auction. “With the sale of the collection, we hope that we will continue to contribute to a greater understanding of our civic education work and institutional documents,” the professor and philanthropist said in a statement.

Selby Kiffer of Sotheby’s books and manuscript department was involved in the auction thirty years ago when Howard Goldman bought a copy of the constitution. You will return for your sale at the end of the year. “I have been taking care of her ever since and I am so excited to see her return to our campus after a long day,” he said in an official statement. “The Constitution is the fundamental source of our understanding of democracy and the American spirit, which will always have universal appeal and transcend any kind.” Since its approval and enactment, the U.S. Constitution has been amended 27 times. Nevertheless, its first line, “We, the people of the United States …”, continues to demonstrate that overcoming unity and differences is fundamental to the suffering that democracies face.

SEE released on October 13, 2021, Version No. 2759