A rare first edition of the Hobbit sold nearly 50,000 euros at auction

A first edition of Hobbit From the British writer Tolkien, discovered by chance during the storage of a house in Bristol in England, was sold at auction on Wednesday for 43,000 pounds (around 49,300 euros), the sales house announced on Wednesday. Similarly, The starting estimate had been established at 10. Nevertheless, 000 pounds (around 11,500 euros) but the work was finally bought more than four times more expensive by a “private collector of the United Kingdom »according to the house auctioneum. However, “It’s a fantastic result for a very special book”who attracted auctions from all over the world. welcomed the rare first edition hobbit sold expert Caitlin Riley, quoted in a press release.

A find of unimaginable rarity – Rare first edition hobbit sold

He was one of the 1. 500 copies printed in 1937, during the first edition of what became a world bestseller. The book comes from the family library of Hubert Priestley, a botanist who “probably” known the author, according to Auctioneum. “No one knew that the book was there”had assured Caitlin Riley, before the sale. It was she who made the happy discovery in the house during a storage room. “I did not believe my eyes (…) it is a find of an unimaginable rarity”she said.

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With its pale green cover, the book includes black and white illustrations by the author. All the editions that followed have color illustrations, specifies Auctioneum. The Hobbitwanted at the base as a children’s book. tells the adventures of Bilbon Sacquet and a group of dwarfs, rare first edition hobbit sold who left to reconquer the Kingdom of Erebor and a fabulous treasure, fallen between the claws of Smaug, a dragon fire of fire. In 2015. an original edition with an Elven language dedication had been sold at auction at 137,000 pounds (187,000 euros), by Sotheby’s in London.