We live in an age where many consider buying books from a store to be a dated and unnecessary method of obtaining literature. Fortunately, there are still plenty of individuals who believe the opposite and are happy to spend generously on “real” books! Some of these volumes hold immense historical significance, while others are true works of art. GoSeekNest invites you to explore together a list of the 10 most expensive books in the world.
TOP 10 most expensive books in the world
Let’s begin at the bottom of our stellar list. Books are, above all, about content. Yet sometimes, they become a profitable and reliable way to invest money and preserve wealth.
10. “Tales of the Bard Beadle” by Joan Rowling
The book sold for 3.6 million euros. Joan Rowling created 7 copies of this children’s story, which is referenced several times in the book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Each copy is handwritten and illustrated by the author herself, bound in brown leather and adorned with silver and moonstones. She gave 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!
Source: rd.com
9. The Gutenberg Bible
The sale price is 4.6 million euros. Gutenberg’s Bible, also known as the 42-line Bible, is the first book printed using movable metal type in Europe. The inventor of this printing method is Johannes Gutenberg. In total, about 180 original copies were produced, 48 of which have been lost, and 31 remain in perfect condition. One of these copies was sold for 4.6 million euros at an auction in 1987.
Source: rd.com
8. The First Folio by William Shakespeare
A single-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 the English playwright, published seven years after his death. Of the 750 original copies, about 228 survive today. These copies are considered some of the most sought-after books among collectors worldwide. Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, spent 5.6 million euros on one of these copies in 2001.
Source: rd.com
7. The Canterbury Tales by Jeffrey Chaucer
The book sold for 7 million euros. Today, only a few dozen copies of the first edition of The Canterbury Tales by Jeffrey Chaucer, published in 1477, exist worldwide. The last remaining copy owned by a private collector was bought by Count Fitzwilliam for just 6.80 euros in 1776. Who could have predicted that this very copy would sell at auction in 1998 for 7 million euros!
Source: rd.com
6. “Birds of America” by James Audubon
The book cost the buyer 10.8 million euros. Only 119 complete copies of the first edition of Birds of America, an illustrated book about the birds of the American continent, exist. One of four volumes was sold at auction in 2010 for a staggering 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.
Source: rd.com
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 illuminated manuscript. Several artists worked on the manuscript from 1500 to 1520. The total edition has 254 sheets. The book was bought in 1999 for 12.6 million euros, breaking the record for the world’s most expensive illuminated manuscript.
Source: rd.com
4. Massachusetts Book of Psalms
The Massachusetts Book of Psalms, sold for 13.4 million euros, is the earliest known book left by the first American immigrants. The book is also considered the first printed publication by British colonists in North America. It was first published in 1640 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Rumor has it that only 11 copies of this book remain, one of which was sold at auction in 2013 for 13.4 million euros.
Source: rd.com
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 from the 8th century. The uniqueness of the old manuscript lies in its binding – one of the first wooden bindings covered with leather.
Source: rd.com
2. Magna Carta (original)
The price of the masterpiece is 20.1 million euros. Magna Carta, or the Great Charter, is a document drafted by the Archbishop of Canterbury and signed by King John of England. In 1215, it became necessary to create such a political and legal document to protect the rights and privileges of free inhabitants of England. In 2007, an original copy of the Magna Carta was bought at auction for 20.1 million euros.
Source: rd.com
1. Leicester Codex by Leonardo da Vinci
A notebook with scientific notes written by the hand of the great master Leonardo sold 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 topics, 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, giving the manuscript its name. 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.
Source: rd.com
Who knows, perhaps a masterpiece is stored in your attic, the price of which is a fortune!
