A document believed to be a mere reproduction of the Magna Carta, the foundational medieval English charter that has influenced global constitutions, has been identified as a remarkably scarce original by British academics.
Scholars affiliated with King’s College London and the University of East Anglia (UEA) have stated that the parchment, acquired by the American institution in the 1940s for a modest sum of $27.50, is indeed one of merely seven extant exemplars from King Edward I’s 1300 decree of the Magna Carta.
The Magna Carta is widely regarded as a seminal precursor to democratic governance, the bedrock of legal frameworks internationally, and a cornerstone of human rights declarations.
Originating in June 1215, the “Great Charter” – esteemed as one of humanity’s most pivotal texts – was the first to codify the revolutionary principle that even the monarch and the state were subject to the rule of law.
This landmark document played an instrumental role in the formulation of the United States Declaration of Independence and its Constitution.
Subsequently, King Edward I issued a finalized version of the Magna Carta, incorporating minor amendments. This later iteration is also recognized as the Confirmation of the Charters, promulgated in 1300.
It served as a reinforcement of the original Magna Carta, which had been sanctioned by King John, and represented the final comprehensive issuance of the charter.
In 1946, Harvard Law School Library procured what it presumed to be a facsimile for $27.50. This amount, according to a United States Department of Labor inflation calculator, is equivalent to just over $470 in contemporary currency.
However, investigators observed that the dimensions of the document align with those of the six previously identified originals. Furthermore, the script is consistent, notable for the prominent initial ‘E’ in ‘Edwardus’ and the elongated characters on the inaugural line.
“This represents a truly momentous discovery,” commented David Carpenter, Professor of Medieval History at King’s College London.
“Harvard’s Magna Carta warrants commendation not simply as an imitation, however aged, but as an authenticated original of one of history’s most significant constitutional documents, embodying a cornerstone of liberties established in the past, enjoyed presently, and still to be secured for the future.”
