The general public have been given the chance to own a page or two of one of the most important books of the last 200 years, with shares up for grabs in Charles Darwin’s ‘On The Origin Of Species’.
Valued at £275,000 at auction, this first edition is popularly known as the ‘most influential academic book ever written’ and is now available for people to grab a piece of for just a few notes due to fractional ownership. Showpiece, the collectables platform has divided ownership of of the tome into 5,500 pieces which people will be able to purchase for £50 and with a surge in early sales, there are now only just over half of the pieces left for purchase.
And what’s more, Darwin-related collectibles are now in high demand. Recent and upcoming auctions have seen a journal sold for over £300,000, his microscope for £600,000. It is also expected that a signed manuscript will fetch up to as much as £700,000.
As for the history of the book, it is one of only 1,250 copies printed, with its original mid-Victorian era binding intact, and in pristine condition. Having once resided in Mudie’s Library, this first edition has spent a lengthy 163 years traveling through various collectors’ and readers’ hands, but managed to retain its condition.
The book was first published on November 24, 1859, priced at 15 shillings. In today’s money, that would be around £79.60.
Oliver Bayliss, founder of Bayliss Rare Books, dealers of iconic first-editions from around the world, said: “It is rare to find a copy in such condition. This is up there with the best I’ve seen, an absolutely stunning example.”
Dan Carter, co-founder of showpiece.com, added: “This book literally changed the world as we know it, so it’s been unsurprising that early ownership have been strong throughout the UK. But we also have seen interest from as far as Australia and Canada.
“If the current momentum continues then we expect all remaining pieces to be snapped up in the coming days.”
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