We live in a time when people think that buying books in a store is an outdated and simply unnecessary way of acquiring literature. Fortunately, there are more than enough people in the world who are convinced of the opposite and are willing to generously pay for “real” books! Some of them are of great historical value, while others are works of art. Furilia invites you to study together a list of the 10 most expensive books in the world.
TOP 10 most expensive books in the world
So, let’s start at the end of our star list. Books are, first and foremost, content. However, sometimes books become a profitable and reliable way of investing money and storing capital.
10. “Tales of the Bard Beadle” by Joan Rowling
The book went for 3.6 million euros. Joan Rowling created 7 copies of this children’s story, which is mentioned several times in the book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Each copy is handwritten and illustrated by the author himself, covered in brown leather and decorated with silver and moonstones. She presented six of the seven original copies to friends and editors. The seventh copy, however, was auctioned for 3.6 million euros, making it the most expensive modern manuscript!
9. The Gutenberg Bible
The issue price is 4.6 million euros. Gutenberg’s Bible, also known as the 42-line Bible, is the first book to be printed using a serial movable metal font in Europe. The inventor of this printing method is Johannes Gutenberg. In total, about 180 original copies were made, 48 of which were lost, and 31 were in perfect condition. One of these copies was sold for 4.6 million euros at an auction in 1987.
8. The First Folio by William Shakespeare
A one-volume publication dating from 1623 was sold for 5.6 million euros. William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Chronicles, and Tragedies, or simply The First Folio, is a collection of plays by an English playwright, which was published seven years after the author’s death. Of the 750 original copies, about 228 have survived today. These copies are considered one of the most popular books among collectors around the world. Paul Allen, Co-Founder Microsoft, in 2001 spent 5.6 million euros on one of these copies.
READ ALSO 9 Witchy Books To Read This Halloween
7. The Canterbury Tales by Jeffrey Chaucer
The book sold for 7 million euros. Today in the world there are only a few dozen copies of the first edition of The Canterbury Tales by Jeffrey Chaucer, published in 1477. The last remaining copy, owned by a private collector, was bought by Count Fitzwilliam for only 6.80 euros in 1776. Who could have known that this very copy would be sold at an auction in 1998 for 7 million euros!
6. “Birds of America” by James Audubon
The book cost the buyer 10.8 million euros. There are only 119 complete copies of the first edition of Birds of America, an illustrated book about the birds that inhabit the American continent. One of four volumes was sold at auction in 2010 for a whopping 10.8 million euros! Two other copies went under the hammer for 8.3 million euros in 2000 and for 7.4 million euros in 2012.
5. The Rothschild Prayer Book
The cost of the publication is 12.6 million euros. The Rothschild Prayer Book (paired with the Book of Hours) is a Flemish picture book. Several artists worked on the manuscript from 1500 to 1520. Total edition has 254 sheets. The book was bought in 1999 for 12.6 million euros, which broke the record for the world’s most expensive illustrated manuscript.
4. Massachusetts Book of Psalms
The Massachusetts Book of Psalms, sold for 13.4 million euros, is the earliest book we know left by the first American immigrants. The book is also considered the first print publication of British colonists in North America. It was first published in 1640 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Rumor has it that there are only 11 copies of this book left, one of which was sold at auction in 2013 for 13.4 million euros.
3. The Gospel of St. Cuthbert
In 2012, the book was bought at auction for 13.4 million euros. The Gospel of St. Cuthbert, or the Gospel of Lindisfarne, is a small Anglo-Saxon “pocket” edition of the 8th century. The uniqueness of the old manuscript gives the binding – one of the first wooden bindings covered with leather.
2. Magna Carta (original)
The price of the masterpiece is 20.1 million euros. Magna Carta or Magna Carta is a charter drawn up by the Archbishop of Canterbury and signed by the King of England, John Landless. In 1215, it became necessary to create a similar political and legal document in order to protect the rights and privileges of the free inhabitants of England. In 2007, an original copy of the Magna Carta was bought at auction for 20.1 million euros.
1. Leicester Codex by Leonardo da Vinci
A notebook with scientific notes made by the hand of the great master Leonardo left for 29 million euros. The Codex is a 72-page notebook, perhaps the most famous of Da Vinci’s scientific journals. It contains handwritten reflections and theories on a wide range of issues, such as the movement of water, the glow of the moon, and even the nature of stones. In 1717, the manuscript was bought by Thomas Cox, who later became Earl of Leicester, whose name gave the name of the manuscript. In 1980, the book passed into the hands of art collector Armand Hammer. However, in 1994, da Vinci’s notebook was acquired by none other than Bill Gates himself, who paid 29 million euros for it, making this manuscript the most expensive book ever sold.
Who knows, maybe a masterpiece is stored in your attic, the price of which is a fortune!
READ MORE 5 Most Famous Hotels In the World