First edition Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone book sells for £43k
A FIRST edition of Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone has sold at auction for £43,750, after some “intense bidding”.
A first edition of Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone has sold at auction for £43,750
The sale exceeded expectations as the copy, described as being in “excellent condition”, had an estimated sale price of £15,000-£20,000.
It was purchased by a London-based businessman at Bonhams Fine Books and Manuscripts Sale in the capital.
The Philosopher’s Stone is the first in the series of JK Rowling’s novels about the boy wizard, the best-selling collection that has since been turned into a one of Hollywood’s most successful film franchises.
Part of the first edition’s appeal was down to a rare printing mistake on the back cover, in which the second “o” was missing from the word “Philosopher’s”.
J K Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series
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The extract reads: “Acclaim for Harry Potter And The Philospher’s Stone”.
This was an exceptional price for a much-loved modern classic
Another defining factor in that particular copy’s value was the numbering of 10 down to 1 on the back of the title page, otherwise known as the verso.
Simon Roberts, Bonhams Books and Manuscripts senior specialist, said: “This was an exceptional price for a much-loved modern classic.
The cast of the hugely successful film franchise
“The book was in excellent condition which added to its appeal for collectors and I am not surprised that it attracted so much interest and such intense bidding.”
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was first published on June 30 1997 by Bloomsbury and became an instant best-seller, including in the US where it was renamed Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone.
The book was renamed in the US as 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'
The books are so popular that students at one of the country's top universities have taken to running around with imaginary broomsticks in a bid to bring some Harry Potter magic into the real world.
More than 400 million copies of the Harry Potter series have been sold worldwide.