Harvard's "Magna Carta" Copy
Confirmed as Authentic 1300 Edition Signed by the King of England
A copy of the Magna Carta purchased by Harvard Law School Library in the United States for $27 (about 30,000 won) nearly 80 years ago has been revealed to be an authentic document signed by the King of England in 1300, drawing significant attention. The genuine Magna Carta, which declared that even the king is subject to the law and served as a foundation for constitutions and democracies worldwide, is known to be worth well over several billion won.
According to the BBC and other British media on May 14 (local time), after a year of research, David Carpenter, a professor at King's College London, and Nicholas Vincent, a professor at the University of East Anglia, confirmed that the document held by Harvard Law School, cataloged as 'HLS MS 172,' is one of only seven authentic Magna Carta documents signed by King Edward I of England in 1300.
The discovery began when Professor Carpenter found a digital photograph of the item in the Harvard Library's online catalog. At the time, the catalog described it as a "1327 copy of the Magna Carta. Somewhat blurred and stained with moisture."
Although the catalog listed the item as a copy, the two experts suspected it might be authentic. Professor Carpenter told the British daily The Guardian that upon first seeing the digital image, he thought, "This looks like an original confirmed by Edward I."
To verify its authenticity, the two researchers began a detailed analysis using techniques such as ultraviolet photography and spectral imaging. They also meticulously examined the contents of the document and compared it with other genuine originals. As a result, it was confirmed that the Harvard-held document matched other authentic 1300 versions in size, content, vocabulary, and word order. In particular, King Edward's unique signature style and handwriting were consistent with other originals. This marked the discovery of yet another 1300 edition of the Magna Carta.
The Magna Carta was first drafted in 1215 during the reign of King John, and subsequent kings redistributed it throughout England between 1215 and 1300, resulting in various versions. Of these, only 25 original documents are known to survive, with most located in the United Kingdom.
The version discovered this time is believed to have passed through several families over the centuries before being sold by a descendant of the Maynard family at a Sotheby's auction in 1945 to a London bookstore operator. The bookstore won the bid for 42 pounds (about 80,000 won), and Harvard later acquired it for an even lower price.
The 27.5 dollars (about 30,000 won) that Harvard paid for the document was equivalent to just 7 pounds (about 10,000 won) at the time, according to the BBC. However, the value of the genuine document now far exceeds several billion won. For reference, an original 1297 Magna Carta sold at a New York auction in 2007 for 21 million dollars (about 29.3 billion won).
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