A rare ratified copy of the United States Constitution is set to be auctioned later this month, with the bidding starting at $1 million. The document was discovered by homeowners in North Carolina while sorting through an old filing cabinet as they prepared to sell their house, which is located on land originally purchased by former Governor Samuel Johnston in the 1700s.
This particular copy was both signed by then-Secretary of Congress Charles Thomson and originally printed, according to the auction house. The upcoming auction, scheduled for September 28, marks the first sale of a signed and ratified copy of the Constitution since 1891.
The auction house also mentioned that it is unclear if the last known copy from 1891 still exists or if it is among the eight known institutional copies. While the current bid sits at $1 million, the next bid is expected to exceed $1.1 million.
