New York ( CNN ) -- George Washington 's personal copy of the U.S. Constitution and a draft of the Bill of Rights sold Friday at Christie 's for a whopping $ 9.8 million . Ann Bookout , regent of the board of the Mount Vernon Ladies ' Association , won the bid . `` This is our mission to bring home all things Washington , '' Bookout said . `` We want people to know that Mount Vernon is the home of where these wonderful treasures should belong . '' The 1789 annotated volume , titled `` Acts of Congress , '' will be displayed in the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington , which opens in 2013 at Mount Vernon . The near-pristine artifacts were printed and bound for Washington in his first year in office as president of the United States . `` There 's no question in my mind that this book is one of the most important pieces of Americana to come to the market in decades , '' said Chris Coover , senior specialist for books and manuscripts at Christie 's . Washington 's book has not been available since 1964 . The item had a presale estimate of between $ 2 million and $ 3 million . However , it was the final auctioned item of the day and launched a heated bidding war between two seated participants , Bookout and an unknown bidder . `` It was thrilling , '' Bookout said , `` but I had a quiet resolve with the support of the ladies who are on the board that we were determined to bring it home . '' This copy of the Acts of Congress stayed in the library at Mount Vernon after Washington 's death in 1799 . In 1876 , many of his books , including this volume , were auctioned off . Washington 's notes and brackets line the margins of the Constitution . On the title page is his signature . On the marbled end paper is his personal bookplate , engraved with his motto , Exitus acta probat ( the end justifies the means ) . `` It has such resonance of Washington the man , '' Coover said . `` It was sort of a way of reminding himself what the responsibilities and duties of the president were . You ca n't get more evocative than that . ''
Volume includes copy of Bill of Rights , draft of Constitution . New York was given the papers in his first year . Auctioned book will be displayed at Mount Vernon .