Magna Carta (Authenticated Facsimile of British Library Cotton MS Augustus ii. 106)

Magna Carta – The Great Charter, Magna Carta Libertatum, Magna Charta, Charter of King John of England – the authenticated facsimile of British Library Cotton MS Augustus ii. 106. London: The Folio Society, 2014. Limited Edition number 46 out of 480 numbered copies for sale and 20 lettered copies hors de commerce.

About the Production

Magna Carta is the most famous single document in the history of England. In its clauses, the King pledges to right the injustices of his reign, renounce his absolute power and grant his subjects the right to a fair trial. Of the copies of Magna Carta distributed during 1215, only four survive; two are in the British Library. Of these, Cotton MS Augustus ii.106 – the copy reproduced in this Folio Society facsimile – is by far the best preserved.

This Folio Society facsimile has been painstakingly created to capture the appearance and feel of the original. It is printed on a single piece of parchment, hand cut to replicate the exact shape of the manuscript. Although the original seal is lost, we have sufficient surviving examples from other copies of the Charter to produce a scrupulously accurate likeness. The replica seal is attached to the document with a parchment tag, as it would have been 800 years ago.

In speaking of this wonderful reproduction, former Production Director Joe Whitlock Blundell, told readers in a blog post dated 02 June 2014:

The first ever charter of the rights of the individual citizen, and perhaps the most famous document in history, Magna Carta was signed on 15 June 1215, and we are marking the 800th anniversary by producing a facsimile of one of the best-preserved of the four surviving original copies, Cotton Augustus ii.106 in the British Library. Our facsimile will be printed on parchment, and Kate and I went to visit the works of William Cowley near Newport Pagnell, who have been making parchment for over 140 years using completely traditional techniques. The manual effort that goes into every skin is astonishing: we had a go ourselves at scraping the skins but it was terribly hard work, and we were pleased to hand the scraper back to the expert. 

Exact Specifications

Parchment 31.75 x 50 cm cut by hand. Oak frame 55 x 68.3 cm. Facsimile, with seal attached, mounted on silk board. Framed in oak and glass. Brass plaque on frame. Label on reverse stating limitation number. Numbered certificate of authentication printed letterpress and signed by an officer of the British Library. Lacking the copy of the study Magna Carta: The Foundation of Freedom 1215–2015, which was included with each facsimile of the Magna Carta, however copies of this book can be found readily available online for as little as £20.

Condition Report

All contents are in excellent, fine condition, with no visible wear, with the exception of some light staining on (only) the envelope that houses the certificate of authentication. As specified above, this is lacking the copy of the most recent and authoritative study of Magna Carta, which can be found online inexpensively.

We have looked online to see if there has been a video produced to show this beautiful reproduction, and came across below published and owned by Ziereis Facsimiles; we encourage you to head to their YouTube channel and watch the video in full screen and high resolution: