One anonymous bidder paid $68,500 for Bible inscribed by Albert Einstein. The book, which the famous physicist referred to as “a great source of wisdom and consolation and should be read frequently,” was signed by one of the leading minds in modern history and his wife Elsa, in 1932, as a gift to their American friend Harriett Hamilton.
“Einstein didn’t identify with organized religion as an adult, so the inscription is an extraordinary insight into his sentiments in the early 1930s,” said Christina Geiger, the Director of the Fine Books & Manuscripts Department at Bonhams.
Fine art auctioneer Bonhams estimated the book would reach between $1,500 and $2,500 but interest from global bidders drove it to the final price (27.4 times more than estimated).
“We are very pleased with the price realized for the Einstein Bible,” says Geiger. Ennobled by its notable inscription, for an otherwise ordinary Bible, the price for which it was sold makes it a noteworthy sale indeed.
In addition to the Einstein Bible’s big success, a first edition copy of JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit from 1937 realized $27,500.
