By RICK CALLAHAN, AP

INDIANAPOLIS (June 16) - A soldier's rare leather-bound first edition copy of volume one of "The Federalist" sold for $80,000 at auction Tuesday, bringing him an unexpectedly large profit before his upcoming second deployment to Iraq. Indiana National Guard Capt. Nathan Harlan was 16 when he paid $7 for the 1788 book that's the first part of a two-volume book of essays calling for the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

Nineteen years later, his purchase at a South Bend flea market netted the divorced father of three a more than 11,000-fold return. Harlan, 35, of Granger, said he finished his training at Camp Atterbury on Tuesday in time to log onto Heritage Auction Galleries' Web site and watch final bidding on the book that until recently he had kept in a shadowbox. "I was yelling as the bids were coming in - it was like watching the Super Bowl for me," Harlan said. "The outcome was way beyond my expectations. "Heritage Auction Galleries said the winning bidder asked to be identified only as a resident of the Baltimore area. The Dallas auction house had estimated the book would sell for $8,000 to $12,000, but could bring up to $30,000. James Gannon, Heritage's director of rare books, said Tuesday that publicity about the auction attracted multiple bidders, with the auction house's online listing for the book receiving more than 25,000 hits from interested parties. Harlan will get all the proceeds because Heritage Auction Galleries is waiving its 20 percent seller's commission in recognition of his military service. "We are thrilled to have been of help to an American soldier and we wish him good luck and safe passage as he ships out to Iraq," Gannon said. Harlan will leave this summer for up to a year in Iraq with the 38th Combat Aviation Brigade. He said he likely won't receive the money from the auction until he is on his way overseas. Even though the book sold for far more than expected, Harlan intends to stick to his plan to save most of the money after paying a few bills. But he said he is considering adding to the college funds of his two sons and daughter. "It's a rare opportunity when someone gets a windfall like this," he said.