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3d ago

Harvard Discovers Rare Original 1300 Magna Carta in Its Library

The manuscript, purchased for $27.50 in 1946, is now authenticated as one of only seven surviving originals from King Edward I’s final issue.

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This photo provided by Harvard Law School shows a rare copy of the Magna Carta from 1300 sits in a display case on April 15, 2025, at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
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Overview

  • Harvard Law School’s manuscript, long thought to be a 1327 copy, has been confirmed as an original Magna Carta issued in 1300 under King Edward I.
  • The discovery was made by Professor David Carpenter in December 2023 while researching Harvard’s digitized archives, leading to a detailed authentication process.
  • Advanced imaging techniques, including ultraviolet and spectral imaging, were used to confirm the document’s authenticity and compare it to other originals.
  • The manuscript was purchased in 1946 for $27.50, after being miscatalogued as a later copy during a Sotheby’s auction, and its provenance traces back to Appleby, Westmorland.
  • Harvard plans to retain the document in its collection and is considering public display to highlight its constitutional significance and historical value.