A Copy of Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species” Fetched $62,500

A Copy of Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species” Fetched $62,500 (2)

On June 23, Christie’s New York sold an impressive collection of rare letters, signed documents and manuscripts, each one connected to famous names like Albert Einstein, Beatrix Potter, Ernest Hemingway and Charles Darwin. A first edition copy of Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species” (full title was “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life”) was one of the highlights of the sale. The 1859 book was expected to fetch between $30,000-$40,000, but eventually sold for significantly more: $62,500.

Published in November 1859, the work had a great impact on the scientific community, as it was the first to expound e theory of evolution that explained biological diversity like no other work had done before. Another important lot at the auction was a rare first edition of Casino Royale by Ian Fleming (1953), sold for $17,500, $5,500 more than previously estimated. A set of signed and inscribed first editions of Winston Churchill’s books sold for twice the pre-sale estimation, fetching $30,000.

A Copy of Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species” Fetched $62,500 (2) 

A Copy of Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species” Fetched $62,500 (1)