A COPY OF MAGNA CARTA, WHICH HARVARD LAW SCHOOL PAID $27 FOR, TURNS OUT TO BE A RARE ORIGINAL
Harvard Law School paid $27.50 for a copy of the Magna Carta in 1946, which it considered a great deal. Scholars have lately discovered that the "copy" is actually a rare original, so that deal ended up being much better than they had anticipated nearly a century later. It is only one of seven that were made following King Edward I's proclamation in 1300.
It's interesting to note that Harvard's digitising initiative is responsible for the discovery. While researching unofficial copies of Magna Carta, King's College London Medieval History lecturer David Carpenter discovered Harvard's copy. He felt he was looking at an original when he started his investigation and started contrasting it with other verified copies. To support his allegations, he also worked with Nicholas Vincent, a Medieval History professor at the University of East Anglia. They are certain that Harvard's version of the paper is authentic after looking into its provenance.
“This is a fantastic discovery,” says Professor Carpenter. “Harvard’s Magna Carta deserves celebration, not as some mere copy, stained and faded, but as an original of one of the most significant documents in world constitutional history, a cornerstone of freedoms past, present, and yet to be won.”
The Magna Carta holds special significance because it was the first written document to state that kings are beholden to the same law as their subjects. By limiting the power of the monarchy, it established the basis for future legal systems.
The scholars observed that the document's dimensions and handwriting match those of the other six originals. Additionally, they looked attentively at the text and discovered that it followed the authorised version that was present in the other originals. How did it get to America, then? Professors Carpenter and Vincent learned that the Magna Carta was part of a document trove inherited by a war hero in the Royal Air Force. He then placed the document up for auction in 1945, where it was purchased by a London book dealer, who then sold it to Harvard.
This incredible discovery only underlines the importance of digitisation, as the true nature of this document would have remained a secret if Harvard had not placed it online. “This work exemplifies what happens when magnificent collections, like Harvard Law School Library’s, are opened to brilliant scholars,” says Amanda Watson, Harvard Law School’s assistant dean for Library and Information Services. “Behind every scholarly revelation stands the essential work of librarians who not only collect and preserve materials but create pathways that otherwise would remain hidden.”