Home / Education / Harvard's $27.50 Parchment Revealed as Priceless Magna Carta
Harvard's $27.50 Parchment Revealed as Priceless Magna Carta
10 Oct
Summary
- An original Magna Carta from 1300 was bought for $27.50 in 1946.
- It was mistaken for a later copy for nearly 80 years.
- Seven original copies of this edition now exist, including Harvard's.
In 1946, Harvard Law School acquired a faded parchment for $27.50, mistaking it for a later copy of the Magna Carta. The document, catalogued as dating from 1327, remained in the library's collection for nearly 80 years.
In December 2023, medieval historian David Carpenter, while studying digital images, noticed discrepancies suggesting it could be an original 1300 edition. Further investigation with Nicholas Vincent and advanced imaging techniques, including ultraviolet light and spectral imaging, confirmed its authenticity. The parchment's dimensions and distinctive handwriting matched other known 1300 originals.
This 1300 edition holds significant importance as it was the last time the full Magna Carta was authorized with the king's seal. Previously, only six original copies were known. Harvard's document, HLS MS 172, is now recognized as the seventh surviving original from that specific issue.
Researchers also traced the parchment's possible history back to Appleby, England, suggesting it may have passed through prominent families before reaching the auction market in 1945. This newly authenticated Magna Carta is now estimated to be worth millions.
