Washington's 1789 Acts of Congress Gift to John Jay Heads $12M Sotheby's Americana Sale
Sotheby's is holding an auction in December called Reason and Revolution: Extraordinary Works from a Distinguished Private Collection. One standout item is a book that George Washington gifted to John Jay back in December 1789, and it’s valued at between $8 and $12 million. This book is notable for being the first official printing of the Acts of Congress. Washington was the first President of the United States, while Jay served as the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Out of five copies that are similarly bound, this is the only one still in private ownership. This auction showcases the early days of the U.S. and comes after a previous sale on October 20 that highlighted important scientific texts.
Key facts
- Sotheby's hosts the December sale as part 2 of Reason and Revolution: Extraordinary Works from a Distinguished Private Collection
- The Washington-to-Jay volume is estimated at $8–12 million
- The book is a copy of the first official printing of the Acts of Congress
- Washington presented the volume to Jay on 9 December 1789
- Washington was the first US President and Jay the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
- It is the only one of five similarly bound copies remaining in private hands
- The series' first part, focused on landmark works of science, took place on 20 October
- The auction is a dedicated single-owner sale devoted to the founding of the United States
Entities
Artists
- George Washington
- John Jay
Institutions
- Sotheby's
- Supreme Court of the United States
Locations
- United States