Only Copy of Magna Carta in the USA Treated at National Archives in Washington

artwork: File photo of David Rubenstein, far right, who purchased the one of the only four remaining 1297 Magna Carta documents, looks over the document during an event at the National Archives in Washington.   -  AP Photos/Susan Walsh.


WASHINGTON (AP).- A painstaking conservation effort to remove old patches and repair weak spots in a 714-year-old copy of the Magna Carta has revealed that the full text of that English declaration of human rights remains intact even though some words are faded and illegible to the eye, the National Archives said Tuesday. A $13.5 million gift from philanthropist David Rubenstein — owner of the handwritten document — is funding the conservation effort as well preparations for an upcoming exhibit.

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