Culture

Harvard's $27 Magna Carta Copy Revealed as $21M Original

MAY 15 2025·Updated MAY 16 2025

Story

Above: The Magna Carta, issued by Edward I in 1300, now in the Harvard law school library. Image credit: Lorin Granger/Harvard Law School via the BBC

The Facts

A Harvard University document, purchased for $27.50 in 1946 and long believed to be a cheap copy of Magna Carta, has been authenticated as one of only seven surviving original copies from King Edward I's 1300 reissue, potentially worth over $21 million.
Daily Mail
Harvard Magazine
Breitbart
David Carpenter, a professor of medieval history at King's College London, made the discovery in December 2023 while browsing Harvard Law School's digital library. Subsequently, the document was verified through ultraviolet light and spectral imaging analysis.
Harvard Law School
The Washington Post
Wsj
The document's authenticity was confirmed through multiple verification methods, including matching 19.2 by 18.6 inches dimensions, identical handwriting features, and text comparison with other known originals from 1300.
Harvard Law School
The Washington Post
Daily Mail
The manuscript's journey to Harvard has been traced to World War I flying ace Air Vice-Marshal Forster Maynard, who inherited it from anti-slavery campaigners Thomas and John Clarkson, suggesting its origin from the borough of Appleby in Westmorland.
Harvard Magazine
Breitbart
Wsj
The 1300 Magna Carta was Edward I's final version. It reaffirmed the original 1215 document, which established the principle that even the king is subject to law, and formed the basis for constitutions globally.
Barrons
The New York Times
Breitbart
Harvard Law School has no plans to sell the document. However, a similar 1297 version was sold at auction in 2007 for $21.3 million to businessman David Rubenstein, who donated it to the National Archives.
The Washington Post
Daily Mail
Breitbart

Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

The timing of this discovery is particularly significant as it reinforces the fundamental principles of institutional autonomy and protection against arbitrary state intervention. At a moment when Harvard faces unprecedented government pressure over campus policies, this document serves as a potent reminder that even state authorities must operate within legal boundaries.

The Washington Post

Harvard Magazine

Narrative B

The document's relatively modest preservation and cataloging over decades at Harvard demonstrates how even the most valuable historical artifacts can be overlooked in institutional collections. This oversight has potentially cost the university millions in proper valuation and conservation efforts, highlighting the need for more rigorous authentication processes in academic archives.