Acts Of Congress Auction: George Washington's Personal Copies Hit The Block In New York

This undated photo provided by Christie's shows George Washington’s personal copy of the Acts of Congress, including the Constitution and draft Bill of Rights. On June 22, Christie’s New York will auction the volume which was specially printed and bound for Washington in 1789, his first year in office as first President of the United States. The estimate is $2-3million. (AP Photo/Christie's)

NEW YORK -- George Washington's personal copy of the Acts of Congress is heading to a New York City auction.

Christie's is offering it on June 22. Its presale estimate is $2 million to $3 million. It's being sold by the Dietrich American Foundation.

The 93-page leather-bound volume contains the U.S. Constitution and a draft of the Bill of Rights. It was printed in 1789 during the first president's first year in office.

Washington made notations in the margin of the Constitution and bracketed passages pertaining to the president's duties. The title page contains his signature.

Two similar copies were made for Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson and Attorney General John Jay.

Jefferson's is in Indiana University's Lilly Library. Jay's is in a private collection.

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Comments

[malotor]

10:10 PM on 04/24/2012

Washington was right... acts of congress are being sold all day, every day... he was a psychic!

[CherryCheeze]

01:58 PM on 04/24/2012

Umm...wait a minute, It's being auction off to the highest bidder? I would think the Smithsonian or the Library of Congress would want to be in on that action.

[Jeff Tenenbaum]

05:45 PM on 04/24/2012

We can't kill it or exploit it, why would they be interested in a thing like that?

[fieryat41]

01:38 PM on 04/24/2012

In reality, acts of congress are already going to the highest bidder.

[serindipity803]

01:57 PM on 04/24/2012

:)

[Anticap]

05:07 PM on 04/24/2012

That's what I thought the article was about when I clicked on it!

[fieryat41]

05:28 PM on 04/24/2012

Me too. lol