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Harry Potter Book Sold for $471,000 is Most Expensive 20th Century Work of Fiction

Harry Potter Book Sold for $471,000 is Most Expensive 20th Century Work of Fiction
on Dec 13, 2021

A first edition of “Harry Potter" sold for $471,000 or Rs 3,56,62,942.50 in the United States on Thursday in what the auctioneers said was a world record price for a 20th century work of fiction. The hardback 1997 British edition of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone," with a color illustration on the cover, was described by Heritage Auctions as “magical, incredibly bright and so very near pristine." The book was published in the United States as “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone." The Dallas-based auction house said only 500 copies with the specific binding were printed. The final price was more than six times the pre-sale estimate of $70,000.

Previous auction prices for Harry Potter first editions have ranged from about $110,000 to $138,000.

“Not only is it the most expensive Harry Potter book ever sold, it’s the most expensive commercially published 20th-century work of fiction ever sold," Heritage Auctions Executive Vice President Joe Maddalena said in a statement.