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A rare first edition, first state copy of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, complete with a printing error, topped AbeBooks' most expensive titles sold last month, selling for $12,874.
You can also see the ten most expensive books sold in 2007. |
JK Rowling
First edition copy signed by JK and dust wrapper panels signed by the cover artist Cliff Wright. The first issue has a misaligned text block 'burnt (drop) so much' p.7, which is corrected in the subsequent issues. The publisher says that the errors were spotted early during the print run and amended. The vast majority of the first edition are second issue.
Sold for $12,874
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Philip Rashleigh
Cornish landowner Philip Rashleigh formed one of the most outstanding early collections of mineral specimens (housed in the Royal Cornwall Museum at Truro) This work describes his best specimens.
Sold for $12,754
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Peter Beard
Published by Tashen in 2006 this is one of a limited number of collector’s copies signed by the renowned photographer.
Sold for $10,808
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John Addington Symonds and Havelock Ellis
From 1897, the earliest full-length study of homosexuality and the lives of lesbian’s and gay men to be published in English or in an English-speaking country. Way ahead of its time the book revealed that homosexuality was not a disease but a way of being. This copy signed by Ellis on the title page.
Sold for $7,500
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5. Memories on the Affairs of the Jesuits
C.P. Platel
Entirely reworked and much enlarged edition of the crushing attack on the Jesuits by Abbot CP Platel, pseudinym of Norbert Parisot, or Father Norbert (1697-1769). Published 1766, Signed by P. Yver, 5 volumes.
Sold for $5,698
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6. Letters from Mr. Charles Gottlieb of the Windisch
Karl Gottilieb Windisch
First French edition of the book "Briefe über den Schachspielen of Hrn. Von Kempelen" published in Basel in 1783, describing the famous chess playing automaton created in 1769 by the Hungarian engineer of Wolfgang Kempelen. The automaton, nicknamed “Turk” for its Persian clothing was described as an artificially intelligent robot, however it was eventually proven to be hoax involving a man hidden in the suit.
Sold for $5,044
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Jourdan, Decrusy & Isambertr
The general digest of the former French laws is a rare set of corpus of ancient Germanic and French laws in charge between 420 and 1789 compiled by Jourdan (1791-1826), Decrusy and François André Isambert (1792-1857). Published 1821-1833 in 29 volumes.
Sold for $4,663.97
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A.A. Milne
First Edition, First Impression of this 1928 children’s classics, in which Tigger makes his appearance and the game Poohsticks is invented.
Sold for $3,924
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9. Miroir de la Bonne de la Mort tire passion
David de la Vigne and Romeyn de Hooghe
French illustrated edition of The Good way to Die. The impressive pictures of Romeyn de Hooghe (1645-1708) show the sick and dying, the suffering of Jesus in mind, including one biblical quote, and a behavioral statement.
Sold for $3,699
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William Aiton
Sold for $3,602
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