A copy of former President George Washington's personal copy of the Constitution and Bill of Rights is viewed at Christie's auction house in New York City. The artifact, which is signed and has notes by Washington, was put up for auction on June 22. Spencer Platt/Getty Images/AFP.
On June 22, at Christie’s New York, George Washington’s annotated copy of the Constitution and Bill of Rights (1789) sold for $9,826,500, setting a new world auction record for an American book or historical document. After 223 years, it remains in near-pristine condition, with Washington’s bold signature and his armorial bookplate. Remarkably, in the margins of the Constitution, Washington has added careful brackets and marginal notes. These notations highlight key passages concerning the President’s responsibilities, testifying to Washington’s careful, conscientious approach to his powers and responsibilities in his ground-breaking first term.
Chris Coover, Senior Specialist of Books and Manuscripts, comments: “George Washington’s annotated copy of the Constitution and Bill of Rights (1789) sold for an extraordinary $9,826,500 — a world auction record for any American book or historical document. A number of bidders competed pursued this exceptional item, but in the end the successful bidder was a representative of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association of the Union, the non-profit educational organization which owns and operates the historical site and museum of George Washington’s Virginia home. The unique book had been in the Mount Vernon library until 1876 and will soon be returned to that library.”
You can read the full article via ArtDaily here.
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I have 20 t0 30 US Naval Dispatches sent to the USS San Jacinto during World War Two. These items were sent by all the top commders such as Nimitz, Halsey and MacArthur. This is the ship from which G.H.W. Bush flew from when he was shot down.
Any interest?