A book of psalms which is amongst the first books ever printed in America is on the way to become the most expensive book ever sold. The book in question is one of the 1,700 copies printed in the year 1640 by the Pilgrims who had come from England and settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Only eleven copies of the edition is known to have survived till today. Sotheby’s US arm is bringing the rare book for auction and the pre sale estimates have put the value of the book at £20 million. The last time a copy from the same edition had come on the market was way back in 1947 when it fetched £99,000, a price which had created a world record at the time.
A Copy From the Rare Edition is Coming to the Market After Two Generations
The book of psalms which is over 370 years old is expected to break the current record by a huge margin. The record for the most expensive book is currently held by a copy of John James Audubon’s Birds of America which was sold in 2010 for £7.5million. David Redden of Sotheby’s highlighted the fact that the Bay Psalm Book has acquired a mythical rarity. Its arrival on the auction block is significant because it had not come to the market for over two generations. The modest little book is significant also because it embodies the values that created the American nation. It helped create the base for political freedom and religious liberty.
The Rare Book will be Auctioned by Sotheby’s, New York on 26 Nov.
Selby Kiffer, international senior specialist in Sotheby’s asserted that the Bay Psalm Book is not merely a book but has acquired the status of one of the greatest artifacts of American history. Experts have confirmed that it is the first ever bound book published and printed in America. The funds for a printing press were raised in England and the money was sent along with paper and a printer was sent to New England in 1638. The copy of the book which is being auctioned belongs to the Old South church in Boston, Massachusetts. The church is known for its stand against the witchcraft trials and was the host for the meetings that led to the Boston Tea Party. The rare book will be auctioned by Sotheby’s in New York on November 26. The church will use the proceeds to fund its mission in the greater Boston area.
Also, if we are talking about rare books we recommend to look into to have the most amazing plot in years.
Via:
