A rare copy of the U.S. Constitution printed 237 years ago sent to the states to be ratified is being auctioned Thursday evening in North Carolina.
Brunk Auctions is selling the copy - the only of its type thought to be in private hands. The minimum bid of 1 million has already been made. There is no minimum price that must be reached.
This copy was printed after the Constitutional Convention finished drafting the proposed framework of the nation's government in 1787 and sent it to the Congress of the ineffective first American government under the Articles of Confederation, requesting they send it to the states to be ratified by the people.
It's one of about 100 copies printed by the secretary of that Congress, Charles Thomson. Just eight are known to still exist and the other seven are publicly owned.
Thomson likely signed two copies for each of the original 13 states, essentially certifying them.
