The 8 Most Expensive Pieces of Literature Ever Sold!

Whenever we think of the super rich, typically we think of glamorous possessions such as supercars, luxury mansions, mega yachts and corporate helicopters. Traveling in style to exotic parts of the world, fine dining and unique experiences. Living the dream. The world’s most expensive books don’t typically feature at the top of our wish list. However, once you’ve bought all the holidays and cars and settled into that lifestyle, we would imagine you may start looking a little deeper than the typical flashy lifestyle. Afterall, we know cars depreciate in value and holidays rarely have a return on investment. With that in mind, in today’s listicle we are taking a look at the 8 most expensive literature purchases of all time.

We’ll be taking a look at the cultural significance of the included literature purchases and comparing them with modern day assets that can be purchased for a similar amount of money. Then it’s down to you to decide which is the better investment if you do happen to have a few spare millions kicking around, and we’ll also feature honorable mentions of written works that have cultural recognition but don’t quite make our list. And while this blog does reference several religious texts; a detailed examination of said texts is not intended, nor are they the focus of this discussion.

So, if you’re in the market for some exceptional pieces of literature and have an exorbitant amount of cash to spend, or if you’re curious about how literary works may potentially inspire your next art print, then read on!

And don’t forget that every beautiful book needs its companion! Whether it’s a magnetic bookmark tucked neatly inside to make sure you never miss a word, or you’re inspired to create your own art prints influenced by the story fused with your own creativity.

The Codex Leicester is a 72 page collection of scientific writings by Leonardo da Vinci and as we are not featuring religious texts in our listicle, the Codex is considered one of the most expensive Leonardo da Vinci books in the world. The book was published in the early 1500’s and there is only one copy as it was Da Vinci’s personal notebook. 

Leonardo da Vinci was known to be one of the brightest minds in history, as a mathematician, inventor, astronomer and a philosopher, which makes the Codex one of the most inspiring and sought after pieces of literature of all time. The Codex can be considered one of the greatest astronomy books of all time, with both mathematical and philosophical discoveries throughout.

The Codex was named due to the longstanding owner Thomas Coke, the 1st Earl of Leicester, and consequently the Leicester Estate after his death in 1759. The Leicester Estate continued to hold on to the works from 1759-1980.

It was most recently purchased by Bill Gates in 1994 for a fee of $30,802,000 which in today’s market is around the $64million mark. 

Gates (known for co-founding Microsoft) scanned pages from the Codex and implemented them into Windows 95/98 and ME operating systems as a screensaver.

Alternatives: For $64million in 2025, you could build a 600k-square-foot warehouse such as the one DHL built in North Jacksonville. If you’re not a global delivery service, you could put a massive bouncy castle in there.

The second most expensive text on our list is the Magna Carta, which is known as the Great Charter of Freedoms (or the Great Charter). The 15x17” sheet of parchment was purchased for $21,321,000 in 2007 and is considered a later copy of the original, as it was created in 1297. The original was created in 1215, and there have been many amendments and exemplifications along the way. There are also many books on the Magna Carta that explore the significance of the text and its societal and cultural impact.

The document is essentially the separation of law from governing bodies and royalty. The Magna Carta established the rights of the King and the Government, meaning no-one could exploit their power and all had to follow common law. 

The concept of the Magna Carta was to act as a Peace Treaty to ensure that all legal proceedings are impartial, and that nobody was above the law. In reality the views in the text were too radically one-sided, which created a Civil War between the King and the Barons. The document was refined throughout history to reflect the importance of common law, and can be sourced as being one of the most pivotal moments in history for shaping society.

The legislation was exported to America and other English-speaking countries, creating a universal framework for society. Taxes, trading, debt management and the restoration of peace were cited as heavily influenced by the Magna Carta, but as society continued to progress, most of the clauses are no longer valid in the modern day.

There are four remaining original copies of the Magna Carta of 1215 and they all reside in the United Kingdom. Two copies are housed in the British Library in London. Outside of London, the remaining copies are within Salisbury Cathedral and Lincoln Castle respectively.

Alternatives: For $20million you could own the mansion atop The Kingfisher Tower complete with swimming pool, and you’d still have $1.3 million leftover to help with the interior decorating!

The Northumberland Bestiary is a manuscript that was created circa 1260 documenting real-world animals such as birds, bees and bats, but also fictional creatures such as the hydra and the manticore with the intention of real world education as well as providing moral lessons.

A manuscript is the pre-production version of the published work. Typically before a book, memoir or collection is pressed, published and distributed as an edition, the author will edit, amend and organize their work as a manuscript. Manuscripts are highly collectible as they will contain notes, improvements and insights into how the author works, alongside content that is cut or changed from the final version.

Little is known about the creator of the Northumberland Bestiary, but the works contain chapters on the human condition, animals and theories on creation, with sermons and religious texts throughout.

The manuscript paper contains 112 colored ink drawings and was sold in 2007 to the J. Paul Getty Museum for $20 million.

Alternatives: If you are looking to spend $20million in 2025, you could pick up the beautiful “Rule No. 1” luxury yacht with some pocket change left over for a fancy captain’s hat and fishing paraphernalia.

William Shakespeare is arguably the most-renowned author on our list, if not throughout the entire history of literature. He is one of the most instantly recognized and influential playwrights in history, and quite surprisingly the First Folio doesn’t contain a variety of the work he is known for. 

Notably, there is no William Shakespeare poetry among the First Folio, as it exclusively contains plays written by the playwright. 36 of his 38 total plays, in one of the most sought after William Shakespeare books of all time.

William Shakespeare poems also hold huge significance in literary history as well as his iconic plays, with ‘Venus and Adonis’, ‘Sonnet 18’ and ‘A Lover’s Complaint’ among over 150 poems by the famous writer. He is globally recognized as one of the best writers in history, and Venus and Adonis is highly regarded as the rarest book of all time.

Alternatives: You could set up your family in this stunning 8-bed, 7-bathroom estate in Maryland for $10million, if you’re not keen on picking up some of the rarest literature in history.

John James Audubon is renowned for creating The Birds of America book, which is a catalogue of ornithological artworks published between the years of 1827 and 1838. The collection features 435 life-sized prints of North American birds. The prints were hand colored and due to the size of the prints, the book itself has a huge wingspan.

Audubon spent twelve years travelling across North America to observe his avian subjects, before collating one of the most impeccably documented collections. The book depicts 489 species of bird (over 1000 birds), with estimates that 6 birds that feature are now unfortunately extinct.

The book sold for $9.65million in 2018. It remains significant in the preservation and conservation of birds and their habitats across North America. The Audubon Society formed in 1886 at grassroots level to protect and conserve birds, and the organization grew to national status by 1905. The National Audubon Society remains one of the largest and influential environmental groups in the United States with huge credit going to John James Audubon and his work.

Alternatives: If you are looking to spend $9.6million you could have snapped up Michael Jordan’s legendary Chicago home, which was on the market for 12 years. The original asking price was around $29million.

Whenever the name Giacomo Casanova (often spelt Jacques Casanova) is mentioned, it’s often used in a light-hearted manner whenever romantic adventure is mentioned, and quite rightly so.Giacomo Casanova built up a reputation for being an adventurer with remarkable charisma, allowing him to open doors where the common man could not. His cunning wit and natural rapport enabled him to build an esteemed reputation for himself, gaining the influence of aristocracy, religious figureheads and legal representatives throughout Europe. 

He was considered to be a scoundrel and a scam artist, but is most notably known as a womanizer.

The memoir ‘Histoire de ma Vie’ (Translation: Story of my Life) by Casanova is considered one of the most in-depth, fascinating and provocative looks behind the lace curtain of socialites deep within the heart of Europe during the 1700’s. The 3,700 handwritten pages (that’s over 1.2million words) were first published in 1820, and fetched over $9million in a private sale in February 2010.

Alternatives: If owning arguably the world’s greatest lover’s personal memoirs isn’t your style, you could pick up a Bugatti Centrodieci. Only ten were ever made and they too retail at $9million.

The Canterbury Tales were a collection of Chaucer books that were written between the years of 1387 until Chaucer’s death in 1400. He originally planned to write 100 Canterbury stories, and the book The Canterbury Tales is considered his masterpiece. Of the 100 planned Geoffrey Chaucer books, only 24 stories make up the Canterbury Tales.

The Tales detail a collection of pilgrims on their way from London to Canterbury, to pay respects to the holy shrine of Thomas Becket. With pilgrims each telling a story from their own background, Chaucer created genre-defining works, showcasing his ability to explore romance, comedy and ethical dilemmas through his writing. Chaucer’s book ‘The Canterbury Tales’ sold for $7.5million when put to auction in 1998.

Alternatives: For $7.5million you could match Lewis Hamilton’s perfect retirement car dream. The Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder average price is currently around the $7million mark as only 106 were built. It is notable for appearing in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and for being an instant classic, of course.

Largely considered the world’s first printed atlas, the Cosmographia was compiled by Ptolemaeus through eight books during the second century. These artifacts were lost for over a thousand years, and documented three territories we now know to be Africa, Asia and Europe, with 8000 locations, including curved meridians and invaluable information for future generations of cartographers.

The 15th century publication [see above] sold in the region of $4million at auction in 2006. It’s remarkable that the published piece is closer to modern day than to the date the contents were originally written. The original copy may be considered as the oldest book in the world. The first modern atlas of the world (a version of the universalis cosmographia) is still currently available for the smaller price of $1.3million.

Alternatives: For $4million you buy the iconic house from Breaking Bad where Walter White lived in the show. The house was recently priced for sale at $4million, and doesn’t come with pizza on the roof, as Walter cleaned it off in Season 3 of the show.

Unquestionably, the Harry Potter series are some of the most widely recognised J. K. Rowling books available, generating annual revenues in royalties alone of $50k-$100million for the popular British author. 

However, it’s not technically a Harry Potter book that commands the highest fee on the market. That book is based on the in-universe title of the same name, which was given to Hermione Granger in Deathly Hallows. “The Tales of Beedle the Bard” contains a collection of popular fairy tales from the world of witchcraft and wizardry.

When compared with The Philosopher’s Stone book, The Tales of Beedle the Bard has a significantly larger financial attachment. The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Moonstone Copy) sold for $3.9million in 2007, making it “a world record [sale price] for a children’s book.” 

There is a lot of speculation as to why the name changed for the first Harry Potter book, but the word ‘Philosopher’ doesn’t necessarily relate to magic or alchemy. Philosophy is the study of knowledge, reality and existence, and can be studied outside of magic. Sorcery on the other hand, is specifically bound to magic and wizardry. Based on this logic, ‘Sorcerer‘ is a better suited word for the title, which is most likely why the title was updated in 1998.

Comparatively, the first edition of the “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” book is of course highly collectible. There were only 500 hardback copies published in its first edition (with 5,150 paperbacks published), so the book is certainly scarce but not currently capable of commanding a 7-figure price. The first edition of the Philosopher's Stone book will typically command a five-figure price at auction. However, a first edition Harry Potter Philosopher's Stone would command a much larger price if the copy was signed by its author. This determines that there is no guarantee that any of the first edition Harry Potter books command the highest price on the market, particularly when limited edition prints are created at the peak of series popularity.

Autographed calligraphy containing 15 pages, written across 10 leaves of paper make up this extraordinary collection. The pages are written in Elvish along with 21 personal letters to the composer Donald Swann.

This is far rarer than any of the first edition lotr books. The complete Lord of the Rings story was published in three separate books due to publisher fears that the book would not sell well enough as a single item. The Lord of the Rings books (First Editions) were printed at a scale of 3000, 3250 and 7000 respectively. These are more widely available for $60k-$100k, but that price would skyrocket if they are signed first edition books, such as a signed first edition book of The Hobbit which is valued around the $489k mark.

If you are intimidated by the prices of our list so far, then we can offer you some relief in the prices below. These items are currently available for purchase at time of writing, and though they will cost the same as a country house or three, you might be able to barter a little bit to get the price down.

Vintage childrens books can be extremely rare and this Alice in Wonderland book (first edition) is a great example of such. This edition was originally recalled shortly after the initial publication due to the illustrator not being satisfied with the quality of the images. Of the original 2000 copies printed, only 50 were distributed and currently there are only 23 copies in existence. 18 copies reside in public institutes, with the remaining five to be privately owned. 

There are hundreds of editions of Alice in Wonderland that have been printed since the original in 1865, and many of which are still considered vintage alice in wonderland books. As the story is aimed at both children and adults, it’s an enjoyable read for all ages. Typically the older the book the better value it will hold, but the condition of the book and dust jacket needs to be factored in. We recommend this book as a great starting point for anyone hoping to start a vintage book collection, as the book has a fabulous art style, with fantastic calligraphy on the spine and enchanting illustrations. There are many editions to help you understand what information you are looking for in terms of edition, printing number and copyright date, and these books pop up in thrift shops on occasion. We even have a copy from 1937 which was picked up for $2 that we absolutely adore!

Charles Dickens books are core memories for millions of children, from the likes of Oliver Twist, to The Old Curiosity Shop. Many stories have been amended and adapted since their initial pressing so they can be enjoyed by everyone. A Christmas Carol is one of the most popular books by Charles Dickens. If you don’t remember Ebenezer Scrooge from reading the book, perhaps you recall one of the many film adaptations (notably mention of the Muppets musical adaptation from 1992!) A timeless classic, every book collection needs a few vintage Christmas books to inspire future generations and to create festive moments to treasure for a lifetime.

Charles Dickens’ First Edition of A Christmas Carol sold recently for $500,000 via AbeBooks, but you can purchase a copy for a lot less if you shop around. The highest we’ve found is currently on sale for $478,000 via PeterHarrington, but there are First Editions being sold around the $75,000 mark.

Ian Lancaster Fleming was the creator of the charismatic espionage specialist James Bond. Globally recognized as a collection of suspenseful action spy movies, 007 started out as a Cold War-era operative in a collection of Ian Fleming books.

This typescript of Diamonds Are Forever is signed by Fleming, with several amendments throughout. Not only is it a superb piece of James Bond memorabilia, but it’s also a wonderful insight into the working practices of the author of the James Bond books. Ian Fleming’s annotations and corrections showcase working titles and his thought process through his writing. This exceptional piece of memorabilia is available for $446,000 via PeterHarrington.

When thumbing through your own book collection, it is crucial to know how to tell if a book is a first edition. On the copyright page there will be notes regarding the ‘first impression’ or ‘first edition’ (with no mention of a second impression) and will have a corresponding copyright date and publication date. These can be compared with each other, and with knowledge online to determine a match. There is also commonly a number line which is a sequence of numbers on the copyright page to confirm the printing number of the book. If a 1 shows in that number line (or if the number line is complete), there’s a high probability that your book is a first edition. Combining these methods will give you an accurate indication as to whether you have any rare books worth money.

People have always had a fixation with physical books, even with the adoption of digital technology, books still hold significant value in our lives as showcased in the lists above. Whether it’s the dog-eared old favorites, the smell of paper and ink, the joy of admiring your own beautiful collection or the excitement of hunting for your next novel.

Creating custom bookmarks can be a genuine game-changer for any book-related businesses, and bookmarks are one of our most popular products. We can provide thickness up to 38pt with our color core, with custom die-cut shapes, immaculate print with a range of fantastic foil finishes. We offer lots of customization options to suit any occasion, and our blog on kraft paper is perfect if you’d like a bookmark with an antique style so be sure to have a browse, order a sample pack or a chat with our design team for more information.