A copy of the Magna Carta discovered in Britain has turned out to be an original from the 14th century
Kyiv • UNN
The Magna Carta, which was believed to be a copy, has been recognized as an original. This makes it one of the seven issued by Edward I in 1300 that have survived to this day.
In Great Britain, the Magna Carta, which was mistakenly considered an unofficial copy for almost 80 years, has been confirmed as the original. This discovery means that the document is one of seven issued by Edward I in 1300 that still survive, reports UNN.
Details
Professor of Medieval History at King's College London, David Carpenter, came across the document in the online collection of the Harvard Law School Library, marked as an unofficial copy of the Magna Carta of 1327.
I was looking through all these online statute books, trying to find unofficial copies of the Magna Carta... and I immediately thought: My God, this looks like the original confirmation by Edward I of the Magna Carta in 1300, although, of course, appearances are deceiving
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Carpenter and Nicholas Vincent, Professor of Medieval History at the University of East Anglia, used a series of tests to establish the authenticity of the document, known as HLS MS 172.
Using spectral imaging and ultraviolet light, because the condition is not very good in places, I reviewed it word for word, and it matched perfectly with the other six. One extraordinary little detail in the handwriting is the initial letter E at the beginning of the word Edwardus. The next letter — D — Edwardus is also large, which is quite unusual. And yet you will find this big D in one of the six other originals
The Magna Carta, originally granted by King John Lackland in 1215, was the first document to enshrine in writing the principle that the King and his government are not above the law. Carpenter described the Charter as "one of the most valuable documents in the world."
Addition
On the border with Romania, a rare century-old church manuscript was discovered, which was transported by a citizen of Ukraine without the necessary documents, the State Customs Service reported on Friday.
