JK Rowling’s book has some singular errors and was sold at auction along with a copy of ‘Casino Royale’, the first novel in the James Bond spy series, which bears an inscription by author Ian Fleming.
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A rare Harry Potter book first edition has been sold in auction by over £45,000 (about 53,000 euros). The novel, ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’, was auctioned at the auction house Lyon and Turnbull of Edinburgh.
The copy of JK Rowling’s book is one of the first 500 to be printed in 1997; Publishers only produced a small number of copies due to uncertainty over its popularity.
It was expected to sell for between 40,000 and 60,000 pounds, due to some unique bugs. In the end, the book sold for 45,201 pounds (53,500 euros), and presents a spelling mistake of “Philosophical” at the bottom of the cover and “1 wand” is written twice on page 53, in the material list. Was purchased in London by its previous owner two decades ago at Adrian Harrington’s shop on Kensington Church Street.
“A first edition of ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ is an exceptionally rare book to find in any condition, and one in such excellent condition could well be considered the jewel of the crown of any collector Harry Potter,” said Cathy Marsden, head of books and manuscripts.
“Given that much of the work was written in Edinburgh, it is logical that this important piece of history of Harry Potter is sold in the capital,” Marsden added. Along with the first book, the lot, from a American collectoralso included a 1998 first edition of ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’, which sold for 7,560 pounds (8,900 euros), and a first edition of 1997 from ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’, which contains a note written by Rowling to the previous owner.
Others objects of great value were a copy of ‘Casino Royale’, the first novel in the James Bond spy series, which contains an inscription by author Ian Fleming. The author dedicated it to Ion Smeaton Munro, Fleming’s night editor at Kemsley Newspapers, who was a decorated army officer very similar to Bond himself. The inscription reads: “To ISM, who [sic] keeping the night watches freed the author for this extra-mural opus, Ian Fleming, April 1953.”
It was valued between 30,000 and 50,000 pounds and sold for 38,951 pounds (about 46,100 euros). A first edition of 1924 of ‘When We Were Very Young’ by Winnie the Pooh author AA Milne also sold for £15,120 (€17,900) during the auction.
Following the sale, Marsden was “delighted” with the results, which she believes “demonstrate the strength of modern first editions in today’s market.” “The works of giants of literaturesuch as Ian Fleming and JK Rowling, continue to be very popular at auction and I hope these books will be enjoyed and treasured in their new homes.”
