Last month Bonhams held a fine books and manuscripts auction in New York City, during which event a Bible went for a whopping $68,500. Judging by the price, you may be tempted to think that the book was a rare and very old copy, but in fact the reason for which participants kept going higher and higher with their bids is completely different.
The Bible was offered in 1932 by Albert Einstein and his wife to Harriett Hamilton, an American friend of theirs. Their gift bore the inscription “[The Bible] is a great source of wisdom and consolation and should be read frequently”, as well as the signature of the fabled German-born genius.
The buyer of the religious book remained anonymous, but his or her determination to get the item is very impressive. Experts had estimated the Bible to fetch between $1,500 and $2,500, so you can imagine their surprise when biddings went on way above their most optimistic expectations. Einstein memorabilia sells excellently, as this event has once again proven.
