The Magna Carta

The man who just paid $21.3 million for a 710-year-old copy of the Magna Carta says he wants to keep the copy on display in the United States. Magna Carta is the English document that is said to have helped establish the rights of man and lay the framework for the Constitution.

The document was one of only 17 in existence. It was auctioned at Sotheby’s .


Historians say this copy of the Magna Carta is particularly special because it is the one entered into the statute books in England. Fifteen copies remain in England.

The document was bought for somewhere between $20 million and $30 million.



The Magna Carta was issued in 1215 following disagreements between King John and the English barons. The literal translation of it is “Great Paper” or “Great Charter,” In addition to establishing the rights of man, the Magna Carta set limits on the powers of the king.