One of the biggest pieces of American history will be put up for auction by Sotheby’s with an original copy of the U.S. Constitution dating back to 1776 from the Dorothy Tapper collection.
The United States Constitution is one of the highest valued documents in the world with not many people knowing there are multiple copies of this important piece of American history. This sacred document is commonly thought to be one-of-a-kind but there are 25 known copies of the final version of the Constitution.
Though there are more than one copy of the U.S. Constitution only a few have surfaced and survived since publication in 1776. Most are either lost or deteriorated due to lack of care and proper storage but there are only 11 intact copies remain from the original collection.
In celebration of Constitution Day on September 17, the auction house Sotheby’s announced they will be placing one of the copies of the Constitution on the auction block. That’s correct one lucky bidder will win aniconic piece of American history valued at $15 million to $20 million.
The Constitution document that will go up for auction is one of 11 surviving copies from the official first printing produced for delegates of the Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention. This document is truly unique as it is the only copy that remains as a piece of private property as the others are owned by museums or government entities.
This special document will join a collection of 80historical constitutional and related documents up for auction by Sotheby’s. The copy will be on display to the public before being placed on the auction block in cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, and the last stop in New York just in time for the auction in November.
An international senior specialist of Sotheby’s Books and Manuscripts Department, Selby Kiffer, will be working with the rare document the second time following the first auction for the document in 1988 that sold for $165,000. The document is from the Dorothy Tapper collection and the proceeds from the collection sale will benefit the Dorothy Tapper Goldman Foundation with the mission of how acts of all citizens can make a difference and further the understanding of U.S. democracy according to News Net Daily.
