In most cases, buying something to read is relatively cheap, and people buy books for educational or entertainment purposes. They are made from inexpensive products, such as paper and cardboard, and are mass-produced to reduce production costs. People usually pay less than $ 20 to buy something, read their favorite authors, then put on the shelf or giving to a friend.
Used books are really cheap because they are second-hand goods. However, this is not always the case, as there are some old books that are extremely valuable. The reasons for this usually lie in their age because they were part of a limited edition or because they are the only remaining example of a particular author's work. The prices for such items are staggering, and you may be surprised to find out how much enthusiasts are willing to pay at auctions for the most expensive books in the world.
List
- 10. Gutenberg Bible, $ 4.9 million
- 9. Bestiary of the Duke of Northumberland, $ 5.4 million
- 8. First Folio, $ 6.1 million
- 7. Canterbury Tales, $ 7.5 Million
- 6. Birds of America, $ 11.5 million
- 5. The Rothschild Book of Hours, $ 13.9 million
- 4. Massachusetts book of psalms, $ 14.5 million
- 3. The Gospel of St. Cuthbert, $ 15.1 million
- 2. The Gospel of Heinrich Leo, $ 12.4 million
- 1. The Leicester Code, $ 30.8 million
10. Gutenberg Bible, $ 4.9 million
Gutenberg BibleReleased in the first half of the 1450s, also known as the 42-line Bible, is the first book to start typography.
About 180 original copies were made, and only 31 remain in perfect condition. One of these copies was sold for 4.6 million euros at an auction in 1987.
9. Bestiary of the Duke of Northumberland, $ 5.4 million
Duke of Northumberland Bestiary (written in the years 1250-1260 by an unknown author) is an amazing collection of animals, monsters and moral stories of the mid-13th century.
On its beautifully illustrated pages you will find images and stories about hydras, satyrs, elephants, donkeys, panthers and monkeys. In 1990, the book was sold for $ 4.1 million, but is currently owned by the J. Paul Getty Museum.
8. First Folio, $ 6.1 million
«First folio"Is a collection of Shakespeare's plays, printed in 1623, just seven years after his death. Of the 750 original copies, only about 228 remain today. These copies are considered the longest work in English literature and are one of the most popular books among collectors around the world.
William Shakespeare's first book is one of the most coveted books in English. One copy was sold at auction in New York for $ 6.166 million in 2001, and five years later, another copy brought $ 5.153 million. In 2016, a set of the first four issues of Shakespeare's first folios brought $ 3.68 million at the auction. Including the first edition of the first folio, which was not previously known that it exists.
7. Canterbury Tales, $ 7.5 Million
The extremely rare first edition of 1477 "Canterbury talesJeffrey Chaucer was sold for $ 7.5 million in 1998 to the late British billionaire and philanthropist John Paul Getty Jr. There are only a dozen well-known copies of the first edition.
6. Birds of America, $ 11.5 million
Replicas of John James Audubon's spectacular four-volume edition of “Birds of america", The original of which was published in 1827, brought millions of dollars several times. In 2000, the Qatari prince and collector purchased it for $ 8.8 million (today $ 13 million).
Another copy was sold for $ 5 million in 2005 ($ 6.5 million today), and in 2010, the highest price was offered for $ 11.5 million ($ 13.5 million today). In 2012, another full edition of Birds of America was sold for $ 7.9 million (today $ 8.75 million), and in 2018 another copy for $ 9.6 million.
Given inflation, these copies of Birds of America were sold for a total of $ 50.6 million.
5. The Rothschild Book of Hours, $ 13.9 million
The Rothschilds Book of Hours - This is a Flemish manuscript of the 16th century, decorated with incredible miniatures to paintings of Renaissance masters and decorated with gold. The book got its name in honor of the Rothschild family, which acquired the book somewhere after 1868 (it is not known where it was in the previous 350 years).
In 1938, the book was stolen by the Nazis; four years later, Hitler transferred it to the National Library in Vienna. Incredibly, the library refused to return it to the Rothschilds. Only in 1999 will the book be returned to its rightful owners.
The Rothschild prayer book was first sold to an anonymous buyer in 1999 for $ 13.38 million ($ 20.4 million adjusted for inflation). In 2014, it was again sold to billionaire Australian businessman Kerry Stokes for $ 13.9 million. Given inflation, the cost of the book fell by almost $ 7 million.
4. Massachusetts book of psalms, $ 14.5 million
Massachusetts book of psalms was printed in 1640 and became the first book published in British North America. In 1947, a copy of the Book of the Psalm of the Gulf - 11 are known - broke world records of the most expensive printed book when its copy was sold at auction for $ 151,000 (today - about $ 1.8 million). In 2013, she again left at the auction and broke her own record when billionaire David Rubenstein bought it for $ 14.5 million.
3. The Gospel of St. Cuthbert, $ 15.1 million
The earliest undamaged European book was bought by the British Library in London in 2012 for $ 14 million after a successful fundraising effort.
Gospel of saint cuthbert was buried with its owner and writer, St. Cuthbert, who died in 687. The book is in surprisingly good condition and still retains its binding and beautiful red cover, despite being 1300 years old.
The gospel was discovered in 1104, when the remains of Cuthbert were transferred from the grave to the temple - and for some time it was used as a protective talisman.
By the beginning of the 17th century, the book was privately owned until it was donated to the Jesuit community in Belgium, where it remained for 250 years. You can see the book in the online library of digitized manuscripts of the British Library.
2. The Gospel of Heinrich Leo, $ 12.4 million
«Gospels of Heinrich Leo"Is a bright romance book published sometime in the late 12th century and sold for $ 12.4 million in 1983. According to the New York Times, the value of the book was extremely high among the West German consortium, but they were willing to pay even more.
King Henry Leo was a key figure in the founding of Germany, and bidders, including the federal government of Germany and private philanthropists, pooled their money to bring this book home.
1. The Leicester Code, $ 30.8 million
«Leicester CodexLeonardo da Vinci is the most expensive book ever sold. Leonardo’s 72-page linen manuscript includes Leonardo’s thoughts, theories, and observations about the world, such as the movement of water, fossils, and the luminosity of the moon.
In 1994, he was sold for $ 30.8 million to Bill Gates, who was not yet the richest man in the world - although he was certainly wealthy. After purchasing Codex, he scanned it digitally, and then released several images as screensavers and wallpapers for Windows 98 Plus. This is a real journey for a book written in 1510.