The 1670 royal charter signed by King Charles II establishing Hudson's Bay on display in a photo supplied by the Manitoba Museum.

The 1670 Royal Charter that launched the Hudson’s Bay Company, and played a pivotal role in Canada’s history, will be auctioned off on Dec. 3, following court approval of the sale process on Friday.

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice gave the green light to the auction, which was previously delayed after the Thomson and Weston families submitted a surprise joint bid for the document in late September just hours before another hearing to set the auction in motion.

The two prominent Canadian families had each submitted offers for the 355-year-old parchment before deciding to join forces. Both plans involved a permanent donation to a Canadian public institu

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