Harvard Paid $26 for ‘Cheap Copy’ of Magna Carta—Turns Out It’s an Original Worth Millions

In 1946, Harvard purchased what they believed to be a cheap copy of Magna Carta for $25.70. It turned out to be a screaming deal, because the document is actually a rare early 14th-century edition estimated to be worth millions. The document was buried in the Harvard Law School Library’s archives until 2023, when David Carpenter, professor of medieval history at King’s College London, identified it while perusing the library’s website. In a statement from Harvard Law School, Carpenter described the document as “a remarkable testament to a fundamental stage in England’s political development” and as “one of the world’s most valuable documents.” Carpenter was studying unofficial copies of Magna Carta when he made a surprising discovery. Labeled as HLS MS 172 in Harvard Law School Library’s digital archives, the document was described as a copy of the 1327 Magna Carta “somewhat rubbed and damp-stained.” Carpenter immediately realized that the alleged copy might actually be an official ... Read full article.