In 1946, the Harvard Law Library purchased what it thought was a damaged copy of the Magna Carta for $27.50. Recent research has confirmed it is one of the rare original re-issues from King Edward I, making it an extraordinary historical find. Experts David Carpenter and Nicholas Vincent collaborated to authenticate it, noting matching text and handwriting features. The discovery underscores the irony that such a pivotal document related to liberties is at Harvard, a university now embroiled in discussions about those very liberties.
"Given where it is, given present problems over liberties, over the sense of constitutional tradition in America, you couldn't invent a provenance that was more wonderful than this."
"The text of Harvard's document matched up perfectly with the 1300 originals, as did its dimensions, the researchers said."
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