ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Seth Kaller, a specialist in valuing and collecting historical documents, carefully lays an old sheet of paper across a desk. The document is in remarkable condition, allowing him to handle it gently with his bare hands. Despite being nearly 237 years old, it only shows a few creases and minor discolorations, having spent who knows how long tucked away in a filing cabinet in North Carolina.
At the top of the first page are well-known words, although they are printed in a standard typeface instead of the elegant Gothic lettering we often associate with historical texts: “WE, the People …”
People will have the opportunity to bid on this unique copy of the U.S. Constitution, believed to be the only one of its kind still in private hands, during an auction conducted by Brunk Auctions on September 28 in Asheville, North Carolina.
The starting bid for the auction is set at $1 million, with no minimum price required to finalize the sale.
This particular copy was printed after the Constitutional Convention approved the framework for the U.S. government in 1787 and was ratified by the Congress of the first American government under the Articles of Confederation.
Only about 100 copies were printed by Charles Thomson, the secretary of that Congress. Out of those, just eight are known to still exist, and all but this one are held in public collections.
Thomson likely signed two copies for each of the original 13 states, essentially certifying them. These copies were sent to special ratifying conventions where representatives—who were all white men—spent months debating and eventually accepting the structure of the government we have today.
“This document represents the connection between the government and the people. The Preamble — ‘we the people’ — signifies the moment when the government seeks legitimacy from the populace,” explained auctioneer Andrew Brunk.
What transpired with this document from the time it was signed by Thomson until it resurfaced in 2022 remains a mystery.
Two years ago, while clearing a property in Edenton, North Carolina, once owned by Samuel Johnston, the former governor who oversaw the state’s ratification of the Constitution, the document was discovered. It was found inside a two-drawer metal filing cabinet, sitting on top of a can of stain, in a dusty room cluttered with old furniture and forgotten books, shortly before plans were made to preserve the Johnston house.
The Constitution is printed on a broad sheet of paper that can be folded once like a book.
“I receive calls weekly from people who think they possess a Declaration of Independence or Gettysburg Address, but most often it’s just a replica. However, occasionally, something truly significant is uncovered,” said Kaller, who specializes in appraising and trading historic documents.
“This is on an entirely different level of significance,” he emphasized.
The Constitution also comes with a letter from George Washington, advocating for ratification. He acknowledged that compromises would be necessary, requiring states to relinquish certain rights for the greater good of the nation.
“To secure all rights of independent sovereignty to each while ensuring the interest and safety of all — individuals entering society must surrender a portion of their liberty to protect what remains,” wrote Washington, who would later become the first president of the United States.
Brunk believes it’s difficult to predict the potential sale price of the document due to the lack of comparable sales. The last known sale of a similar Constitution copy was for a mere $400 in 1891. However, in 2021, Sotheby’s in New York sold one of only 13 surviving copies of the Constitution printed for the Continental Congress for a staggering $43.2 million, setting a record for any book or document.
This particular document is significant because it was designed to reach people across the country, allowing them to review and decide if this governmental framework was how they wished to be governed, thus linking the authors of the Constitution with the citizens who would grant it power and legitimacy.
In addition to the Constitution, the auction in Asheville will feature other notable items, including a 1776 first draft of the Articles of Confederation and a journal from the 1788 Convention of North Carolina, where representatives debated for two weeks whether ratifying the Constitution would concentrate too much power in the national government at the expense of states’ rights.
