First Printing of the United States Constitution
The Founding Fathers signed the United States Constitution 235 years ago, marking the beginning of the longest-lasting charter of government in the world. While the original document was hand-written, printed copies of the Constitution were made for distribution among the 13 states. This is one of two privately-held examples, of 13 copies, of that first printing, and the first time the document has been available for public sale in over 125 years. The other example reached a world record for any book, manuscript, or printed text when it sold for $43.2 million in November 2021 — again auctioned by Sotheby's. The document is estimated to sell for $20-30 million at Sotheby's New York event on December 13, 2022.