Rare 13th Amendment Copy Sells For Record $13.7 Million
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The 13th Amendment is one of the most important documents in American history. Passed in 1865, it abolished slavery in the US, freeing about four million people. On June 26, 2025, a handwritten copy of the Amendment sold for a record $13.7 million at a Sotheby’s auction. Purchased by American billionaire Kenneth Griffin, it is the highest price ever paid for a document signed by President Abraham Lincoln. The previous auction record for a copy of the 13th Amendment was $2.4 million, set in 2016.
The rare document is written on a single sheet of calfskin parchment. It is one of only 14 copies signed by President Lincoln and members of Congress before being sent to the states for approval. Of those, only four — including this one — are held by private collectors. According to Sotheby's, this copy is particularly valuable because it is signed by the highest number of lawmakers.
At the same auction, Griffin also bought a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation for $4.4 million. Passed in 1863, the law freed enslaved people living in the Confederate states. Griffin's copy is one of only 27 known surviving copies from the 48 printed for the 1864 Great Central Fair in Philadelphia. Signed by President Lincoln and other officials, the documents were originally sold for $10 each. They helped raise funds for medical care and support for Union soldiers. Griffin plans to loan the newly acquired documents to a museum for public display.
This is not the first time he has spent record amounts to add key pieces of American history to his collection. In 2021, Griffin purchased a first-edition copy of the US Constitution for $43.2 million. This was one of the highest prices ever paid for a historical document. That copy is also expected to go on display at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia in 2026.
"As America approaches its 250th anniversary, we all have a part to play to strengthen and renew the promise of our nation,” Griffin said. "Each generation must experience the sacred documents of our democracy — to learn from them and be inspired to carry our country forward."
Resources: townandcountry.org, griffithcatalyst.org, smithsonianmag.com
