Harvard University recently discovered it possesses an original 1300 Magna Carta, acquired for just $27.50 in 1946. Professor David Carpenter of King's College London identified the document while browsing Harvard's digitized archives. He noted unique characteristics matching known originals, and his findings were confirmed by colleague Nicholas Vincent. The discovery highlights the importance of digitizing archives and the potential for unexpected historical finds. Only about two dozen original Magna Cartas exist, with only six from 1300.

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.