FX.co ★ Books from the past: world's most expensive printed editions

A real discovery for philologists and linguists was the book found on the Scottish island of Bute. According to the media, it was a copy of the first collection of plays by William Shakespeare. In the collection, there are 36 plays, among them - "Macbeth", "Storm" and "Twelfth Night". Professor Emma Smith of Oxford University, specializing in the works of the great playwright, confirmed the authenticity of the edition. It is the most valuable of the heritage of W. Shakespeare. Private collectors from around the world are ready to give any money for it.

The Codex Leicester by Leonardo da Vinci. Price: $49.4 million

The Codex Leicester is a collection of scientific records made by Leonardo da Vinci in Milan in 1506-1510. It is a 72-page notebook, consisting of 18 sheets of paper, written on both sides. The peculiarity of the manuscript is that the notes are made by the original mirror writing of Leonardo. It was named after Count Lester, who bought the notebook in 1717. In 1994, The Codex Leicester was put up for auction and bought by Bill Gates for $30.8 million.

The Gospel of Henry the Lion. Price: $28 million

The handwritten edition of the Gospel was compiled approximately in 1188 by the order of Heinrich Leo (1129-1195), Duke of Saxony and Bavaria. The manuscript includes four Gospels, which are placed on 226 pages, decorated in a unique Romanesque style by monks and novices of the Benedictine Abbey of Helmarshausen. The Gospel is recognized as a masterpiece among the manuscripts of the 12th century. Currently, a valuable edition is in Germany and is stored in the library named after Baron Augustus in Wolfenbüttel.

Magna Carta. Price: $24.5 million

Magna Carta is a political and legal document of 1215, which protected the legal rights and privileges of free citizens of medieval England. It consists of 63 articles that regulated taxes, fees and feudal duties, legal proceedings, etc. Currently, only 17 copies of the book have survived. The owner of the charter of 1297 with the seal of King Edward III was a co-founder of the investment fund Carlyle Group David Rubinstein.

The St. Cuthbert's Gospel. Price: $15.1 million

The St. Cuthbert's Gospel is an ancient manuscript book of the 7th century AD, which is a copy of the Gospel of John. The size of the book, consisting of 94 sheets, is 138 × 92 mm. Since 1979, the Gospel is kept in the British Library. Previously, it was rented by the library, and then it was purchased with the support of Durham University for $13 million.

Hours of Rothschild. Price: $ 13.9 million

One of the richest families in the world - the Rothschild - had been owning the prayerbook before the Second World War. In 1940 the manuscript was confiscated by the Germans and sent to Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. In 1948, it was returned to the former owner, and in 1954 he sold the Hours to the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. Price: $11.1 million

The Canterbury Tales is an unfinished work of the poet Geoffrey Chaucer, written at the end of the 14th century. The collection consists of 22 poetic and 2 prosaic short stories, united by a common detail - these are various stories on behalf of pilgrims going to worship the relics of St. Thomas Beckett in Canterbury. So far only 12 copies of the book have survived. In 1998, at Christie's auction, one of them was acquired by a group of London entrepreneurs for $11.1 million.