First Printing of De Valera’s new Constitution, approved by referendum in 1938. UPDATE: THIS MADE 10,500
An important copy of de Valera’s new Constitution, approved by referendum in 1938 and signed by all ten members of his 1938 cabinet comes up at Fonsie Mealy’s summer rare books and collectors sale in Castlecomer on July 30 and 31. The special printing on heavy paper finely bound in dark green patinated morocco is estimated at 7,000-9,000. It is signed by Seán T. Ó Ceallaigh, Oscar Traynor, Patrick Lynh, P.J. Rutledge, Sean F. Lemass, Séamus Ó Riain, Tomás Ó Deirg, Gearóid Ó Beoláin, Frank Aiken, Seán MacEntee, Patrick J. Little and Attorney General Patrick Lynch.
Only a handful of copies were prepared with all the signatures, one for each cabinet member, and a few went to favoured members of the diplomatic corps; an unsigned copy went to Áras an Uachtaráin..
No more than two or three signed copies have come to light in recent years.