Cambridge: A manuscript long believed to be a copy of the Magna Carta, a landmark document in the rule of law and human rights, is in fact a rare original issued by King Edward I in 1300, according to Harvard Law School, which owns the manuscript.

According to Anadolu Agency, the parchment was purchased by Harvard in 1946 for $27.50, after being sold a year earlier at a London auction for £42, approximately $52 at that time, as noted in a Harvard statement issued on Thursday. The document measures around 1.6 by 1.55 feet (1/2 meter by .47 meters) and is now recognized as one of only seven surviving originals from Edward I's 1300 issuance of the foundational charter.

Researchers from King's College London and the University of East Anglia authenticated the manuscript after making comparisons with known originals and using advanced imaging to confirm its textual and physical consistency. Professor David Carpenter of King's College London remarked on the significance of the discovery, emphasizing its value to world constitutional history, according to Harvard's statement.

The parchment was traced back to Appleby, Westmorland, and was once in the possession of World War I air vice-marshal Forster Maynard, who inherited it. Harvard officials have celebrated the discovery as a poignant reminder of the ongoing relevance and importance of the rule of law.