🖊️ 11—Book & Script Legends

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Books & Scripts — 11 Finds, $70 Million+

Hidden Treasures Found in Everyday Places

This list serves as a compact archive of modern book and script treasure history — a quick reference for journalists, researchers, and enthusiasts. It highlights how high-value items continue to surface in ordinary places.

A few legendary examples from the list include:

$2 Million for a book bought at auction
$3 Million for comics found in a basement
$9 Million for a historic filing cabinet find

Overlooked for years, these surprising discoveries reveal how valuable treasures can be — even when hiding in plain sight.

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11—Legendary Finds:

1. Victorian Vault—£10M ($15 Million) Magna Carta Found in Archive Scrapbook

📰 📅 2015 Report: In Sandwich, England, a rare 1300 copy of the Magna Carta—one of just 24 known—was discovered in a Victorian-era scrapbook in the town archive. Though damaged, it remains historically significant. Experts authenticated it and valued it at up to £10M ($15.2 million at the time). The town planned to keep it as a tourist attraction.

█ Story and image: 🔗 PBS News

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2. Filing Cabinet Find—$9 Million for 1787 Constitution Found on Farm

📰 📽️ 📅 2024 Report: A rare 1787 copy of the U.S. Constitution was discovered inside a forgotten filing cabinet on a historic farm in North Carolina, USA, during its preparation to become a public site. The document, originally part of Governor Samuel Johnston’s collection, sold at auction for $9 million. Only a handful of copies still exist.

█ Story, video, and images: 🔗 CBS News

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3. Bird Book Bonanza—£5.5M ($8.8M) for 1827 Audubon Birds of America Found in Scottish Library

📰 📅 2000 Report: A classic ornithological book, 'The Birds of America' by John James Audubon, resurfaced at the Mount Stuart House library on the Isle of Bute, Scotland. Misplaced since 1909, this four-volume first edition—originally purchased for £380—fetched £5.5 million (about $8.8 million USD) at a New York auction. Celebrated as the finest color plate work in ornithology, its rediscovery was especially significant due to its well-documented provenance.

█ Story: 🔗 The Herald

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4. Map Marvel—$7.5 Million for 14th-Century Chart Bought at Estate Auction

📰 📽️ 📅 2023 Report: In the USA, a 14th-century portolan chart was purchased at auction during a virtual estate sale for $239,000. Misdated as 16th century, it was later verified as circa 1360. Originally bought in 1993 for about $85,000, the chart is now listed at $7.5 million. It's the only complete 14th-century example known outside Europe.

Story, video, and images: 🔗 Los Angeles Times

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5. Declaration Discovery—$7.4 Million for 1776 Document Hidden Behind $4 Painting

📰 📅 2025 Report: In the 1980s at a Pennsylvania flea market, a buyer paid $4 for a painting and later discovered a rare 1776 US Declaration of Independence hidden in its frame. One of just 25 known first printings, it sold for $2.2 million at auction — later rising to $7.4 million in 2000 — and was praised for its pristine condition after more than 200 years.

█ Story and images: 🔗 UNILAD

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6. Revolution Relic—$6 Million Estimated for $1,000 Auction Buy of U.S. Placecard

📰 📅 2024 Report: In the USA, a rare 18th-century Stamp Act Defiance Placard, pivotal in the American revolt against Britain, was unearthed. Valued at $4-$6 million, it's one of just two known specimens. Originally sold at a Boston auction in 1980 for less than $1,000, its rarity and historic significance render it priceless.

█ Story and image: 🔗 OBSERVER

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7. Ten Commandments Treasure—$5 Million for 1,500-Year-Old Stone Found in Paving

📰 📽️ 📅 2024 Report: In Israel, a 1,500-year-old stone tablet inscribed with the Ten Commandments was rediscovered after being used as paving. Unearthed during a 1913 railway excavation, it later sold for $5 million at auction in New York, USA. Rare and historically significant, the stone has been preserved and is set to be donated to an Israeli institution.

█ Story, video link, and images: 🔗 CNN

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8. Comic Cache—$3.5 Million for Trove of Comics Found in Basement Closet

📰 📅 2012 Report: In Virginia, USA, a man discovered a collection of 345 comic books in a basement closet, initially unaware of their value. The collection, which includes some of the most prized comic book issues, sold for about $3.5 million. Key highlights include a 1939 Detective Comics No. 27, featuring Batman's debut, and a 1938 Action Comics No. 1, marking Superman's first appearance.

█ Story and images: 🔗 TODAY

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9. Superman Sensation—$3.2 Million for 1938 Comic Found in Estate Sale Chest

📰 📅 2014 Report: In the USA, a rare 1938 Superman comic, unearthed from a cedar chest during an estate sale, fetched $3.2 million at auction. Its value was highlighted by its rarity—one of the few surviving copies from an original run of 200,000—and its exceptional condition, earning a 9.0 rating on the CGC scale.

█ Story and image: 🔗 BBC

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10. Revolutionary Relic—$3 Million for Declaration Manuscript Found in $100 Law Book

📰 📅 2025 Report: A handwritten manuscript of the Declaration of Independence, penned by Samuel Jones, was discovered inside an 18th-century law book bought for about $100 at a U.S. library sale. The manuscript, tied to New York’s ratification of the Constitution, is the only privately held 18th-century Declaration. It was expected to fetch up to $3 million at auction.

█ Story and images: 🔗 Fine Books & Collections

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11. Journal Gem—$2.2 Million for $14K Antique Medical Book Bought at Auction

📰 📅 2024 Report: In Canada, a retired doctor discovered a rare 1555 Renaissance anatomy book by Andreas Vesalius, initially purchased at auction for $14,000. Following further research, the book was auctioned for $2.2 million due to its unparalleled historical and scientific value, marking it as a priceless find.

█ Story and images: 🔗 artnet

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These inspiring discoveries reveal the untapped potential of everyday spaces as hidden treasure troves. Explore the top 40 finds below the ad ☟

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🖊️ 11—Book & Script Legends

TREASURES

News | Tools | [ List ] | Map | [ Info ]

✩ Money Makers ✩

█ A-Z // Fortunes Found 🔗 - [ i ]

Books & Scripts — 11 Finds, $70 Million+

Hidden Treasures Found in Everyday Places

11—Legendary Finds:

1. Victorian Vault—£10M ($15 Million) Magna Carta Found in Archive Scrapbook

2. Filing Cabinet Find—$9 Million for 1787 Constitution Found on Farm

3. Bird Book Bonanza—£5.5M ($8.8M) for 1827 Audubon Birds of America Found in Scottish Library

4. Map Marvel—$7.5 Million for 14th-Century Chart Bought at Estate Auction

5. Declaration Discovery—$7.4 Million for 1776 Document Hidden Behind $4 Painting

6. Revolution Relic—$6 Million Estimated for $1,000 Auction Buy of U.S. Placecard

7. Ten Commandments Treasure—$5 Million for 1,500-Year-Old Stone Found in Paving

8. Comic Cache—$3.5 Million for Trove of Comics Found in Basement Closet

9. Superman Sensation—$3.2 Million for 1938 Comic Found in Estate Sale Chest

10. Revolutionary Relic—$3 Million for Declaration Manuscript Found in $100 Law Book

11. Journal Gem—$2.2 Million for $14K Antique Medical Book Bought at Auction

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