Magna Carta to be auctioned in New York

[stlsaxman]

Source: Financial Times of London

Magna Carta to be auctioned in New York

By Peter Aspden in London

Published: September 25 2007 18:39 | Last updated: September 25 2007 18:39

A 13th-century copy of the Magna Carta is to be offered for sale at Sotheby’s New York for up to $30m, it was announced on Tuesday.

It is the only copy of the document to have remained in private hands and one of only two outside of England.

The manuscript, dated 1297, has been on view at the National Archives in Washington since arriving in the US in 1984, when it was bought by the Perot Foundation and placed alongside the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

The auction house described it as the “most important document ever offered at auction”.

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Read more: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a728a6ae-6b8c-11dc-863b-0000779fd2ac.html

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So is The Constitution next? How odd that the Senate GOP should filibuster restoring habeus corpus the very week the Magna Carta goes up for sale.

My, my, my...

[JackORoses]

1. So they're auctioning it off just like they did Habeas Corpus

[htuttle]

2. You just KNOW that Cheney's been dying to light a cigar from that thing!

I'd be surprised if one of his agents didn't put in a bid.

[1monster]

3. Yeah, those Unitary Power guys have been really ticked off at Prince John for

centuries.

It's been a long time rallying call: REMEMBER RUNNYMEAD!!!

[Le Taz Hot]

21. LOL!

Excellent!!!

[sufrommich]

4. It's not the Magna Carta, it's a copy

and says as much right in the article. It also says that it is the only copy to remain in private hands,which means it is not going from public to private ownership.Your headline is misleading.

[stlsaxman]

5. The Financial Times wrote the headline

did you follow the link? you would have noticed that.

it IS a copy, yes... printed in 1297- "Up to 400 copies of the document were issued in the 13th century, each intended for a specific district. The document featured in the sale was issued by Edward I for Buckinghamshire." Only 20 copies are now known to exist...

misleading?!?!? i beg your freakin' pardon.

[Robbien]

6. Yeah, but a copy made in the thirteenth century

I can see why it is so valuable.

[JNelson6563]

19. Magna Carta authored 1215

And my money's on Stephen Langton as the author since I would wager none of the "nobles" had the book larnin' to write it.

Anyhow, after John's death in 1217 the Magna Carta was re-issued by the Crown several times, with changes here and there to suit the times. That whole uprising thing that followed the original MC (after John repudiated it) really rocked the monarchy.

This one up for auction will fetch big money.

Julie

[stlsaxman]

20. Thank you, Ma'am!

thanks for the history...

big money, indeed.

[Akoto]

8. He doesn't get to choose the headline.

The rules for this forum state that the subject line of the post must match the article's headline exactly.

[Posteritatis]

7. My reaction will depend on who gets the thing, really. (nt)

[stlsaxman]

9. How great would it be if Al Gore bought it?

sure he has the money, besides one of the few people who could appreciate the sacred document for what it is.

but it's probably going to end up in Micheal Jacksons collection in Dubai with the Elephant Man's bones and the entire Beatles copyrights...

[Demeter]

10. If I Had the Dough....I'd Buy It For the US People

and put it next to the Declaration and the Constitution.

[stlsaxman]

12. you mean "...and leave it where it is."?

'cause, dude- that's right where it is NOW!

:rofl:

on edit: sorry to make light of your post- that is a GREAT idea!

[Shakespeare]

15. They've already moved it.

Story on Yahoo said that the foundation yanked it so fast that they didn't even have time to modify their display in the main Archives hall. There's just an empty case sitting there now where the document used to be. :-(

[stlsaxman]

17. sad sad sad sad sad...

it's already gone. it figures, don't it?

:cry:

[ret5hd]

23. Your sarcasm and derision were suddenly silenced. Why?

[stlsaxman]

30. because i've finally realized that nothing is sacred any more...

everything is for sale.

we are doomed.

[spirit of wine]

11. A monk from Myanmar will buy it

seeing they have more rights than we do now.

[burrowowl]

13. Some corporatist will buy it and

say look what we have destroyed and destroy it.
It should go to a Peoples' Rights Museum,

[Book Lover]

27. A corporatist owns it right now

It belongs to Ross Perot.

[lonestarnot]

14. A copy, a copy is being auctioned. Pretty old copy.

[razzleberry]

16. which version (of many) of the M.C., is this? .n/t.

ok, supposedly from 1297, but what is the story?

[stlsaxman]

18. the story is that the MC is THE document WE based our Constitution on.

only 400 were printed and distributed to counties as declared law in 1297....

and WE have one of the fewer than 20 copies said to survive today and one of only two outside of England.

it's the only one in North America. our republic would not have happened if not for this document.

THAT is "the story".

[muriel_volestrangler]

22. Hmm - "THE document" may be pushing it a bit far

It is the basis for the right to trial by your equals - so it's the basis of the 4th Amendment. But most of it is irrelevant to the USA, or even modern England. It's an important development in the history of England, and so it's influential for the US too, but overall it was assertion of aristocratic rights against a monarch's rights - not something that is the basis of the constitution of a Republic.

[happyslug]

25. Here is the Carita Itself, including the both th 1204 and 1297 texts

Some background on the Magna Carta:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Carta

Actual Text (1297 Copy):
http://www.constitution.org/sech/sech_044.htm
In the above is the reprint of the 1204 version, the parts NOT in the 1297 version (But in the 1204 version) is italicized.

[stlsaxman]

31. okay i am on occasion been known to go over the top...

yes- the 4th Amendment and habeas corpus.

having skimmed it just now it's pretty friggin' cool for the 13th Century.

and you're right-

aristocrats > monarch... magna carta

citizens > monarch... declaration/constitution

no? enjoyed your post- thanks.

[Massachusetts]

24. Bottom Line = If it smells it sells

Welcome to America

[dethl]

26. Not cool

I got to see this during my internship in the DC metro area, along with the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. It pisses me off that they would get rid of such an important document for the sake of the almighty dollar. :cry:

[truebrit71]

28. ...and then shredded in DC...

...along with the Constitution...

[fujiyama]

29. I hope whichever group wins the auction will also place it on display

It would be unfortunate to have such an important piece of history sitting in some multimillionaire's mansion.

[KansDem]

32. "So is The Constitution next?"

Nah, the Constitution still draws in the crowds. I imagine, though, in order to pay down the national debt (now approaching $9 billion?), we will see corporate logos appear in the Constitution's borders as corporations buy advertising space.

I hope it doesn't happen, but, well, everything's changed since 9/11...

[Dover]

33. Well they say 'death' increases the value of something. And I'd say

that the Magna Carta has become a quaint remnant of a bygone era in this country.
A trophy buck for the corporations who now own the government. SELL!

Hey lets auction off some
more stuff from the 'old America'!