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Harvard’s $27 Purchase Confirmed as Rare 1300 Magna Carta Worth $21 Million

Researchers authenticate Harvard's document as one of seven surviving originals from King Edward I's final reissue of Magna Carta, reshaping its historical and financial significance.

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A detailed view of an original Magna Carta copy from Salisbury Cathedral
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Overview

  • Harvard University purchased the document in 1946 for $27.50, believing it to be an unofficial replica of Magna Carta.
  • Detailed analysis by David Carpenter and Nicholas Vincent confirmed it as a genuine 1300 Magna Carta issued by King Edward I, one of only seven surviving copies.
  • Authentication methods included dimensional comparison, handwriting analysis, and ultraviolet/spectral imaging to match the document with other originals.
  • The document's estimated value is approximately $21 million, based on the sale of a similar 1297 Magna Carta in 2007.
  • Ongoing research traces its provenance to a 1945 auction by Air Vice-Marshal Forster Maynard, with indications it may be the lost Appleby Magna Carta.