The original cover of the novel “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”, written by British author JK Rowling, seeks to set a new auction record.
This is the original illustration from the first edition of the book from 1997, created by the illustrator Thomas Taylorwhich will be auctioned by the renowned company Sotheby’s.
The watercolor cover is seeking to sell for up to $600,000 during an auction to be held next month in the United States. The pre-sale value is the highest ever given to an item related to the magical universe of Harry Potter.
According to the company in charge of the sale, The picture first came up for auction at Sotheby’s in London in 2001 and sold for around four times its estimated sale price.for a record £85,750, about $106,000.
The image shows Harry Potter posing with a scarf characteristic of his Gryffindor house while posing next to the Hogwarts Express. In addition, he sports his characteristic scar on his forehead.
Although Taylor’s creation was used in several translated versions of the book, it was not used for the American edition of the book, Sotheby’s revealed in a statement.
“More than 20 years later, the original illustration returns to the auction ready to not only far exceed the value it previously sold for, but also to potentially set a new auction record for any Harry Potter-related item”the company added in the statement.
According to records, the highest-value item sold in relation to the magical saga is an unsigned first edition of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” that sold for $421,000.
The official sale of the illustration will be offered by Sotheby’s on June 26 in New York along with other works of English and American literature.
