Auction of first edition of 'Star Spangled Banner' tops $500,000

[alp227]

Source: CNN

New York (CNN) -- A near two-century-old copy of "The Star Spangled Banner" sold for $506,500 Friday at Christie's auction house in Manhattan.

The famed sheet music is one of 11 known first edition copies of Francis Scott Key's patriotic tune, said to have been written after he witnessed the British naval bombardment of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812.

The iconic manuscript was sold to a telephone bidder, who was not immediately named.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/12/03/new.york.star.spangled.banner/index.html

[benld74]

1. WHY isnt it under glass with the Constitution?

[cbdo2007]

2. It says the other 10 copies are held by libraries and institutions.

I would be very surprised if one didn't belong to the Library of Congress or the National Archives.

[onenote]

5. if the government wanted it they could've bid on it

Not sure if they have a copy in the archives, but if they do it would be because they bought it or someone donated it to the government.

[elocs]

3. Yet the Wallace Simpson jewelry got $12 million, with one bracelet going for $7 million.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/6076432/wallis_simpson_jewelry_fetches_more.html?cat=46

[MilesColtrane]

4. Few know that our anthem was once a British paean to sloth and drunkenness.

Who knows, in 200 years our anthem might consist of Toby Keith penned war lyrics over the tune "Too Drunk To Fuck"?