PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Museum of the American Revolution says it was the buyer of an inscribed King James pocket Bible carried into the 1775 Battle of Bunker Hill that was sold for $161,000 at a New York auction in April.
Officials at the Philadelphia museum, set to open next spring, say Thursday that several donors provided the funds for buying the item during the sale at Bonhams in Manhattan. The buyer’s name wasn’t released at that time.
A Massachusetts soldier carried the Bible into battle in Boston on June 17, 1775. His inscriptions included his musket’s number and thanking God for sparing his life during the fighting.
The Bible was among hundreds of historic documents put up for sale by collector Eric Caren, of Woodstock, New York.
Museum officials say they’ll announce the 2017 opening date later this month.