...The Constitution remains as a foundational source for our understanding of democracy and the American spirit.
In the decade following America's independence from British rule, the new country struggled to unify over a singular set of laws that would apply to all 13 states. The Continental Congress, led by George Washington, gathered in Philadelphia at the behest of Alexander Hamilton to propose a new Constitution that would revise the Articles of Confederation, the original constitution from 1777.
The new constitution proposed several new concepts, such as the three branches of government (executive, judicial and legislative) as a system of checks and balances and the division of House of Representatives and the Senate to provide state representation.
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The new Constitution was first ratified by Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia and Connecticut by December 1787. In the 234 years since, it has been amended 27 times, with the first 10 amendments as part of the Bill of Rights (1789), which largely protects individual rights and limits government authority.
500 copies of the original 1787 Constitution were printed, but today only 11 known copies remain. This copy, the last one in private hands, was purchased in 1988 at Sotheby's for $165,000 by S. Howard Goldman, a real estate developer and passionate Americana collector. Held by the Goldman family for over 30 years, Goldman's widow, Dorothy Tapper Goldman, is now offering this extremely rare U.S. Constitution copy, as well as other important American documents for sale at Sotheby's.
The U.S. Constitution copy bears an estimate of $15-20 million and will be offered during a live auction on November 23. The proceeds of the Goldman collection will entirely go towards the Dorothy Tapper Goldman Foundation that benefits civic education.
“The Goldman Constitution ranks as one of the most rare and coveted historical documents that has ever come to auction," said Selby Kiffer, Sotheby’s International Senior Specialist in Sotheby’s Books & Manuscripts Department. "To present a document of this significance in an auction during Sotheby’s Evening sales this November spotlights how critical the Constitution remains as a foundational source for our understanding of democracy and the American spirit, which will always have universal appeal that transcends categories."
