The world’s most expensive book is essentially a Renaissance plumbing manual
Forget Shakespeare or rare religious texts. The most expensive book ever sold is a 72-page notebook filled with sketches of moving water. Written in reverse and costing tens of millions of dollars, this masterpiece reveals how a genius studied the mechanics of fluid dynamics.
Determining the world's most expensive book depends entirely on whether you value printed editions or unique manuscripts. If we look at printed works, the title belongs to 'The Bay Psalm Book.' Originally printed in 1640 by Puritans in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this volume was a translation of the Old Testament intended for settlers seeking religious freedom. It is recognized as the first book printed in America, and of the original print run, only eleven copies remain today. In November 2013, it fetched a price of more than $14 million.
However, when considering one-of-a-kind handwritten texts, the value skyrockets. Leonardo da Vinci’s 'Codex Leicester' holds the record, having sold for $30.8 million in 1994 to computer programmer Bill Gates. When adjusted for inflation, the value of this notebook reaches nearly $50 million today. The Codex is an unbound, 72-page collection of DaVinci's observations, specifically focusing on the fluid mechanics of how water moves around obstacles and how to harness its power.
Reading the Codex presents a significant challenge. DaVinci utilized 'mirror-hand,' a technique where letters are reversed and written from right to left, meaning the text is only legible when held up to a mirror. Furthermore, the reader would require fluency in an antiquated form of Italian. The manuscript's history is as layered as its contents. It was first purchased in 1717 by Thomas Coke, the Earl of Leicester, which provided the book its name. In 1980, art collector Armand Hammer acquired it, briefly renaming it the 'Codex Hammer' before Gates returned it to its original title.
Source: What's The Most Expensive Book In The World?
