A Magna Find

David Carpenter of King’s College London was researching unofficial copies of the Magna Carta when he found a digitized version on the Harvard Law School Library website that was believed to be a copy. 

But after examining it, researchers say it is one of seven originals released by King Edward I’s issue of the Magna Carta in 1300 AD that have survived. 

“This is a fantastic discovery,” said Carpenter, a history professor, who authenticated the document, in a statement. “Harvard’s Magna Carta deserves celebration, not as some mere copy, stained and faded, but as an original of one of the most significant documents in world constitutional history, a corner stone of freedoms past, present and yet to be won.” 

Harvard Law School Library bought the document, known as “HLS MS 172,” in 1946 for $27.50. The auction catalogue described the document as a “copy … made in 1327 … somewhat rubbed and damp-stained.”  

The Magna Carta was first issued in 1215 by King John of England to appease barons who were revolting against his rule: Historians say it was a type of peace treaty that declared that even the king is subject to the rule of law.  

The charter was then reissued several times after 1215 by future kings, including by Edward I in the 28th year of his reign, in 1300. The text is in Latin, handwritten, likely by a scribe, and mostly in good shape, considering it is about 725 years old. 

Carpenter confirmed authenticity by comparing it to other originals and through the use of spectral and ultraviolet imaging. 

The dimensions of this Magna Carta, 19.25 in x 18.62 in, correspond to those of the six other known originals. The handwriting, with the large capital ‘E’ in ‘Edwardus’ and the elongated letters in the first line, is also a match. 

Researchers say the find is even more remarkable because the Magna Carta is “one of the world’s most valuable documents.” 

“Considered a key step in the evolution of human rights against oppressive rulers, Magna Carta has formed the basis of constitutions around the world,” they wrote. “It was influential in the founding of the United States, from the Declaration of Independence to the framing of the US Constitution and the subsequent adoption of the Bill of Rights.”