The World's Greatest Books: Why Some Volumes Are Worth Millions
From the Gutenberg Bible to Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks, discover why a handful of books have become some of the most valuable treasures in human history—and why their legacy continues to inspire collectors around the world.
Introduction
When people think of the world's most valuable works of art, they usually imagine paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, Van Gogh or Picasso. These masterpieces have sold for hundreds of millions of dollars and are celebrated as symbols of artistic achievement.
Far fewer people realise that some of the most extraordinary treasures ever created are not paintings at all.
They are books.
Not ordinary books destined simply to be read, but manuscripts and printed works that transformed science, literature, religion and human knowledge. Some introduced revolutionary ideas that changed the course of civilisation. Others preserved discoveries that would have been lost forever. A few became so influential that they continue to shape our understanding of the world centuries after they were written.
Unlike paintings, however, these masterpieces possess a unique quality. They combine intellectual achievement with exceptional craftsmanship. Every page tells two stories simultaneously: the ideas contained within its text and the remarkable skill required to create the object itself.
Long before industrial printing, producing a great book demanded years of labour. Scribes copied thousands of lines by hand. Illuminators decorated pages with gold leaf and vivid pigments. Master binders covered volumes in leather, wood and precious metals. Some Renaissance books even incorporated moving mechanical devices assembled by hand, transforming them into scientific instruments as well as works of art.
Today, the finest surviving examples rank among the rarest cultural objects on Earth. Many are preserved permanently in national libraries or museums, making them effectively impossible to purchase. Others have reached auction only once in a generation, setting records that rival the world's most celebrated paintings.
Yet their true value cannot be measured only in dollars.
These books changed the way humanity thinks.
They accelerated scientific discovery.
They reshaped literature.
They preserved knowledge through wars, fires and revolutions.
And perhaps most importantly, they remind us that books have always been far more than collections of printed pages. At their greatest, they become monuments to human imagination.
In this article, we explore some of the most valuable and influential books ever created—from the Gutenberg Bible and Leonardo da Vinci's scientific notebooks to the mysterious Codex Gigas, the extraordinary Astronomicum Caesareum, and the legendary manuscript behind Don Quixote. Along the way, we will also discover why faithfully produced collector's editions continue to play an essential role in preserving these masterpieces for future generations.
Some books are valuable because collectors compete to own them. Others are valuable because humanity cannot afford to lose them.
What Makes a Book Worth Millions?
A common misconception is that old books automatically become valuable simply because of their age.
History proves otherwise.
Thousands of medieval manuscripts survive today, yet only a tiny fraction command extraordinary prices or occupy places of honour in the world's greatest libraries. Likewise, many first editions of famous books remain relatively affordable, while others have become virtually priceless.
What separates an ordinary rare book from one of humanity's greatest treasures?
The answer lies in a remarkable combination of qualities that very few works possess.
Historical Importance
The most valuable books are those that changed history.
The Gutenberg Bible revolutionised the spread of knowledge by introducing movable type to Europe.
Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks anticipated scientific discoveries centuries ahead of their time.
Don Quixote transformed literature forever, giving birth to what many scholars consider the first modern novel.
These books are remembered not because they survived the centuries, but because civilisation itself would look different without them.
Exceptional Rarity
Scarcity alone never guarantees greatness, but every masterpiece shares one characteristic: very few examples remain.
Some survive in fewer than fifty copies.
Others exist as a single original manuscript.
In rare cases, like the original manuscript of Don Quixote, the work has disappeared altogether, leaving historians to wonder whether it still survives somewhere, hidden within an overlooked archive or private collection.
When supply is almost nonexistent, historical significance becomes even more profound.
Extraordinary Craftsmanship
For centuries, creating a great book required the collaboration of many highly skilled craftsmen.
Paper makers.
Parchment specialists.
Calligraphers.
Illuminators.
Printers.
Leather binders.
Metalworkers.
Every stage demanded exceptional expertise.
Many Renaissance books are masterpieces not only because of their contents but because of the astonishing beauty of the objects themselves.
Gold leaf, hand-coloured illustrations, elaborate bindings and intricate paper engineering transformed books into works of art.
Few examples illustrate this better than the Astronomicum Caesareum, whose moving astronomical discs remain among the most ambitious achievements in the entire history of printing.
Provenance
Collectors often say that every great book has lived many lives.
Knowing who owned a manuscript can dramatically increase both its historical importance and its monetary value.
Books that once belonged to kings, emperors, scientists or renowned collectors carry stories that extend far beyond their pages.
Their journey through history becomes part of the object itself.
Cultural Influence
Perhaps the greatest measure of value is influence.
Did the book change science?
Did it transform literature?
Did it alter the way humanity understood the universe?
The masterpieces featured in this article answer "yes" to one or more of these questions.
That is why they continue to fascinate historians, collectors and museums centuries after they were created.
The Gutenberg Bible
The Book That Changed the World
Estimated value: approximately €35 million
Few inventions have changed civilisation more profoundly than the printing press.
Before Johannes Gutenberg introduced movable metal type around the middle of the fifteenth century, producing a single book required months—or even years—of painstaking manual labour. Monks and professional scribes copied every line by hand, while skilled artists illuminated the pages with colour and gold.
Books were rare, expensive and available only to a privileged minority.
Everything changed around 1455.
Gutenberg's Bible became the first major book printed in Europe using movable type, marking the beginning of a revolution that would transform education, religion, science and politics forever.
Knowledge could suddenly be reproduced on an unprecedented scale.
Universities flourished.
Ideas travelled across borders.
The Renaissance accelerated.
The Reformation spread throughout Europe.
Modern publishing was born.
Although approximately 180 copies were originally printed, fewer than fifty substantially complete examples survive today.
Each represents not merely an extraordinary rarity but the beginning of the modern information age.
When specialists estimate that a complete Gutenberg Bible could command around €35 million, they are valuing far more than ink and paper.
They are valuing one of humanity's greatest turning points.
A Revolution That Changed CivilizationC
The Gutenberg Bible reminds us that books have never been passive objects.
At their greatest, they become engines of change.
Every major manuscript featured in this article shares that same characteristic.
Some transformed science.
Others transformed literature.
A few transformed the way we understand the universe itself.
The next of these masterpieces emerged not from a printing workshop, but from the extraordinary mind of a single individual whose notebooks continue to astonish the world more than five centuries later.
Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Leicester
The Most Expensive Scientific Manuscript Ever Sold
Auction record: US$30.8 million
If the Gutenberg Bible transformed the way knowledge spread throughout Europe, Leonardo da Vinci transformed the very nature of knowledge itself.
Painter.
Engineer.
Architect.
Military designer.
Anatomist.
Geologist.
Astronomer.
Inventor.
Few individuals in history have mastered so many disciplines with such extraordinary originality.
Yet perhaps Leonardo's greatest legacy was not his paintings.
It was his notebooks.
Across thousands of pages, he recorded ideas, observations, sketches and scientific investigations with an intensity unmatched by any of his contemporaries. His notebooks reveal a restless curiosity that refused to accept conventional explanations, constantly questioning how nature worked and how its principles could be understood through careful observation.
Among all these surviving manuscripts, none is more famous than the Codex Leicester.
Written between approximately 1506 and 1510, the manuscript consists of eighteen large sheets folded into seventy-two pages, densely covered with Leonardo's distinctive mirror writing and countless diagrams.
Rather than presenting finished conclusions, the Codex allows readers to witness Leonardo's mind at work.
Every page captures the process of discovery.
Leonardo's Questions About the Universe
The Codex Leicester explores subjects that continue to fascinate scientists today.
Why does the Moon shine?
How are fossils found on mountaintops?
What causes rivers to carve valleys?
How does water move through the Earth's surface?
Leonardo approached each question through observation rather than tradition.
Centuries before modern geology emerged, he rejected the common belief that marine fossils found in mountains had been deposited by Noah's Flood. Instead, he argued that these rocks had once lain beneath ancient seas—a remarkably modern conclusion.
His observations on flowing water anticipated principles that would later become central to hydrodynamics.
His reflections on light revealed an extraordinary understanding of optics.
The Codex demonstrates why Leonardo is often described not only as one of history's greatest artists, but also as one of its first true scientists.
The World's Most Valuable Scientific Manuscript
The Codex Leicester has passed through the hands of several distinguished collectors over the centuries.
Its modern fame reached its peak in 1994, when it was purchased by Bill Gates for US$30.8 million, setting a record that still stands as the highest price ever paid for a scientific manuscript.
Rather than hiding the manuscript from public view, Gates made an important decision.
He digitised the Codex and has frequently loaned it to museums around the world, allowing millions of visitors to experience Leonardo's extraordinary ideas firsthand.
It remains one of the most celebrated manuscripts ever created.
Experiencing Leonardo Today
For most people, viewing the original Codex Leicester means standing behind museum glass, seeing only a handful of carefully selected pages.
A faithful facsimile offers something entirely different.
It allows readers to explore every page, every diagram and every observation at their own pace, just as Leonardo originally arranged them.
For collectors and admirers of Renaissance science, our Codex Leicester – Collector's Edition faithfully recreates one of Leonardo da Vinci's greatest surviving notebooks, bringing this extraordinary masterpiece into the hands of today's readers.
Codex Gigas
The Devil's Bible
Estimated value: US$20–40+ million
Few books have inspired as many legends as the Codex Gigas.
Its sheer physical presence is astonishing.
Nearly one metre tall.
Weighing approximately seventy-five kilograms.
Containing more than six hundred enormous parchment pages.
No medieval manuscript rivals its scale.
Created during the early thirteenth century in what is now the Czech Republic, the Codex Gigas combines an astonishing range of knowledge within a single monumental volume.
It contains the complete Latin Bible, historical chronicles, medical texts, calendars, magical formulas, monastic rules and numerous additional works that reflected the intellectual world of medieval Europe.
It was, quite literally, an entire library bound into a single book.
The Legend Behind Its Name
The Codex Gigas owes its popular nickname—The Devil's Bible—to one extraordinary illustration.
Near the centre of the manuscript appears a dramatic full-page portrait of Satan unlike anything found in other medieval books.
Its striking appearance inspired one of history's most enduring legends.
According to tradition, a monk had been condemned to death after breaking his religious vows.
To save himself, he promised to create the greatest manuscript ever produced in a single night.
As midnight approached, he realised the task was impossible.
In desperation, he called upon the Devil for assistance.
The manuscript was completed before dawn.
In gratitude, the monk included a portrait of Satan within its pages.
Modern historians naturally dismiss the story.
Creating the Codex required years—perhaps decades—of painstaking labour.
Yet the legend continues to fascinate readers almost eight hundred years later.
Beyond the Legend
Beyond its mysterious reputation, the Codex Gigas represents one of medieval Europe's greatest intellectual achievements.
Every page was written by the same hand.
The consistency of the script suggests an extraordinary level of discipline and dedication.
The manuscript survived fires, wars and centuries of political upheaval before eventually finding its permanent home in the National Library of Sweden, where it remains one of the institution's greatest treasures.
Although it has never appeared on the art market, specialists generally agree that its historical importance would place it among the world's most valuable manuscripts were it ever offered for sale.
Its true value, however, lies in something even greater.
It represents one of humanity's most ambitious attempts to gather knowledge into a single volume.
Bringing the Largest Medieval Manuscript Back to Life
Experiencing the Codex Gigas through photographs can never convey its extraordinary scale.
Its immense pages, monumental proportions and remarkable craftsmanship must be appreciated as a physical object.
Our Codex Gigas XXL – Collector's Edition recreates this masterpiece at monumental scale, faithfully reproducing every page, every illustration and every remarkable detail of the original manuscript, allowing collectors to experience one of history's greatest books as closely as possible to the medieval original.
Shakespeare's First Folio
The Book That Saved Shakespeare
Auction record: US$9.98 million
Unlike Leonardo's notebooks or the Codex Gigas, the First Folio owes its importance not to scientific discovery or artistic craftsmanship alone.
It owes its importance to survival.
When William Shakespeare died in 1616, many of his plays existed only as handwritten theatrical manuscripts or incomplete printed editions.
There was no guarantee they would survive.
Fortunately, two of Shakespeare's fellow actors, John Heminges and Henry Condell, undertook an extraordinary project.
In 1623 they gathered thirty-six of Shakespeare's plays into a single volume that became known simply as the First Folio.
Without their efforts, some of literature's greatest masterpieces would almost certainly have disappeared forever.
Among them are:
- Macbeth
- The Tempest
- Twelfth Night
- Julius Caesar
- Antony and Cleopatra
- Measure for Measure
The First Folio did not simply preserve Shakespeare's work.
It preserved a significant part of world literature.
A Record-Breaking Literary Treasure
Approximately 750 copies were originally printed.
Today, around 235 survive.
Many belong permanently to libraries, universities and museums.
Whenever one appears at auction, collectors recognise that they are witnessing an exceptionally rare event.
In 2020, one copy sold for US$9.98 million, making it the most expensive work of printed literature ever sold at auction.
Its value reflects something far greater than rarity.
It represents the survival of one of humanity's greatest literary voices.
Astronomicum Caesareum
The Renaissance's Greatest Scientific Book
Estimated value: US$3–6 million
Some books preserve knowledge.
Others become works of art.
The Astronomicum Caesareum, created by the German mathematician and astronomer Petrus Apianus, achieved something almost unprecedented: it became both.
Published in 1540 for Emperor Charles V, this extraordinary volume is widely regarded as one of the most ambitious scientific books ever printed during the Renaissance. It represents a unique moment in history, when science, engineering, mathematics and artistic craftsmanship merged into a single masterpiece.
Even today, nearly five centuries after its publication, historians continue to describe it as one of the most beautiful printed books ever produced.
A Scientific Instrument Disguised as a Book
Unlike most Renaissance publications, the Astronomicum Caesareum was never intended to be read from beginning to end.
It was designed to be used.
Within its pages are twenty-one extraordinary volvelles—complex paper mechanisms made from multiple rotating discs that allowed astronomers to calculate the movements of the Sun, Moon and known planets.
By turning these wheels, readers could determine celestial positions, predict eclipses and better understand the structure of the heavens according to the astronomical knowledge of the sixteenth century.
In essence, the book functioned as an analogue astronomical computer.
Long before electronic calculators—or even mechanical calculators—these intricate paper instruments transformed printed pages into moving scientific tools.
Very few books in history have ever attempted anything so ambitious.
A Triumph of Renaissance Craftsmanship
Producing the Astronomicum Caesareum required extraordinary skill.
Every copy demanded months of careful work.
The diagrams were printed with exceptional precision.
The illustrations were hand-coloured.
Each volvelle was cut, assembled and attached individually.
Errors of even a few millimetres could render an instrument inaccurate.
As a result, surviving originals remain exceptionally scarce.
Many have lost their moving parts over the centuries.
Others survive only in incomplete condition.
Finding a complete copy with all of its volvelles intact is exceptionally rare, explaining why examples preserved in major libraries are regarded as among the greatest treasures of Renaissance printing.
A Book Fit for an Emperor
Petrus Apianus dedicated his masterpiece to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and one of the most powerful rulers of the sixteenth century.
The dedication was more than ceremonial.
The book reflected the Renaissance belief that understanding the heavens was essential to understanding the world itself.
Astronomy influenced navigation, agriculture, cartography and even political decision-making.
The Astronomicum Caesareum therefore became both a scientific achievement and a symbol of imperial knowledge.
Its spectacular appearance reflected the prestige of the empire it celebrated.
Recreating One of History's Greatest Printed Books
Because original copies are now among the rarest scientific books in existence, few people will ever have the opportunity to handle one.
That is precisely why faithful facsimile editions matter.
Our Astronomicum Caesareum XXL – Collector's Edition has been created at monumental scale to reproduce not only every printed page, but the extraordinary physical experience of the original.
Each of its 21 working volvelles has been carefully recreated, allowing collectors to interact with the book exactly as Renaissance scholars did nearly five hundred years ago.
Produced in a strictly limited edition of only 111 numbered copies worldwide, it represents our commitment to preserving one of humanity's greatest achievements in scientific printing.
Some Books Can Never Be Valued
Auction prices are fascinating.
They provide dramatic headlines and reveal the extraordinary sums collectors are willing to pay for exceptional books.
Yet some manuscripts have become so important that assigning a market value is almost meaningless.
They are preserved permanently in national libraries.
Protected by governments.
Recognised as part of humanity's shared cultural heritage.
If they were ever offered for sale—a scenario considered almost impossible—they would undoubtedly command extraordinary prices.
But their true importance extends beyond the art market.
Their value belongs to history itself.
Two such masterpieces stand among the greatest literary and scientific treasures ever created.
Leonardo da Vinci's Madrid Codices I & II
The Lost Notebooks That Reappeared After Four Centuries
For nearly four hundred years, scholars believed one of Leonardo da Vinci's greatest collections of engineering manuscripts had disappeared forever.
Unlike many of his other notebooks, these volumes simply vanished from history.
Generations of historians searched for references to them.
Some assumed they had been destroyed.
Others believed they remained hidden in an unknown private collection.
Then, in 1965, an extraordinary discovery transformed Leonardo scholarship overnight.
While cataloguing manuscripts within the National Library of Spain in Madrid, researchers identified two forgotten volumes that had remained unnoticed for centuries.
They were Leonardo's long-lost notebooks.
Today they are known simply as the Madrid Codices I & II.
Their rediscovery ranks among the most important manuscript discoveries of the twentieth century.
Inside Leonardo's Engineering Workshop
Where the Codex Leicester reveals Leonardo's scientific curiosity, the Madrid Codices reveal something equally remarkable.
His practical genius.
Within these pages appear hundreds of drawings dedicated to mechanics, engineering, architecture and machinery.
There are gears.
Cranes.
Bearings.
Transmission systems.
Mechanical devices.
Military engineering concepts.
Architectural studies.
The notebooks demonstrate that Leonardo did not merely imagine extraordinary machines.
He understood precisely how they worked.
Many historians consider the Madrid Codices to be the closest surviving record of Leonardo's engineering workshop.
Reading them feels less like studying a historical document and more like standing beside the master himself while he develops his ideas.
A National Treasure
Because the Madrid Codices belong permanently to the National Library of Spain, they are effectively beyond the commercial market.
Their value cannot realistically be measured through auction estimates.
They have become part of humanity's cultural heritage.
For collectors, however, faithful facsimile editions provide an extraordinary opportunity to explore these remarkable notebooks page by page without exposing the fragile originals to further handling.
Our Leonardo da Vinci's Madrid Codices I & II – Collector's Edition faithfully reproduces both manuscripts together with their companion volumes, allowing today's readers to experience one of Leonardo's greatest surviving achievements exactly as it appears in Madrid.
The Original Manuscript of Don Quixote
The Greatest Lost Literary Treasure
There are books that changed literature.
There are books that transformed the history of ideas.
And then there is Don Quixote.
Published in two parts in 1605 and 1615, Miguel de Cervantes' masterpiece is widely recognised as the first modern novel. It introduced a new way of telling stories, creating psychologically complex characters whose dreams, contradictions and humanity continue to resonate with readers more than four centuries later.
Its influence is impossible to exaggerate.
Without Don Quixote, there would almost certainly be no Dickens as we know him. No Flaubert. No Dostoevsky. No Kafka. No Borges. No García Márquez.
Virtually every great novelist who followed Cervantes owes something to the knight of La Mancha.
Yet despite its immense importance, one object remains missing.
The original handwritten manuscript.
A Manuscript Lost to History
Unlike many medieval manuscripts preserved in monasteries and royal libraries, Cervantes' original autograph manuscript has never survived.
Once the text reached the printer, the manuscript disappeared.
Whether it was discarded, destroyed, lost through neglect or still lies hidden within an unidentified archive remains one of the greatest mysteries in literary history.
Scholars have searched for centuries.
No trace has ever appeared.
Its disappearance has only increased its mythical status.
Few discoveries would generate greater excitement in the literary world than the unexpected reappearance of Cervantes' own handwritten pages.
What Would It Be Worth?
Unlike the Codex Leicester or Shakespeare's First Folio, the original manuscript of Don Quixote has never reached the art market.
No comparable object exists.
How, then, can its value be estimated?
One approach is to compare it with manuscripts of similar cultural importance.
Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Leicester sold for US$30.8 million.
Shakespeare's First Folio reached US$9.98 million.
The Codex Gigas would almost certainly command tens of millions if ever offered for sale.
Yet Don Quixote occupies a unique position.
It is not merely one of the world's greatest literary works.
It is arguably the birth of the modern novel.
For that reason, many historians, collectors and specialists believe that if Cervantes' original manuscript were ever rediscovered, it could become one of the most valuable literary manuscripts in existence, potentially exceeding US$100 million.
Its true importance, however, could never be measured in financial terms.
It represents one of humanity's greatest creative achievements.
Reimagining a Lost Masterpiece
Although the original manuscript has disappeared, history has not forgotten it.
Drawing upon the earliest surviving documentary sources, contemporary scholarship and years of historical research, our The Original Manuscript of Don Quixote – Collector's Edition seeks to recreate the closest possible experience of reading Cervantes' legendary manuscript.
Rather than simply reproducing a printed edition, it invites collectors to imagine the work as it first emerged from the author's hand.
It is, above all, a tribute to one of the most influential books ever written.
Why Faithful Facsimiles Matter
A common question arises whenever people encounter remarkable books such as these.
Why create facsimile editions when the originals already exist?
The answer is surprisingly simple.
Because the originals can no longer be handled.
Most are preserved under carefully controlled environmental conditions.
Light is restricted.
Humidity is monitored.
Pages are turned only by trained conservators.
In many cases, only a single opening can be displayed to visitors, while the remaining hundreds of pages remain inaccessible.
This is essential for preservation.
But it also means that experiencing these masterpieces as books—as objects intended to be explored—is becoming increasingly difficult.
Faithful facsimiles bridge that gap.
More Than Reproductions
The word facsimile is often misunderstood.
A true facsimile is not simply a photographic copy.
Its purpose is to recreate the complete physical experience of the original.
Dimensions.
Paper.
Parchment.
Colour.
Texture.
Binding.
Printing techniques.
Even the way the pages move in the reader's hands.
Every decision seeks to preserve not only information, but craftsmanship.
For museums and libraries, facsimiles reduce the need to handle priceless originals.
For universities, they provide essential teaching tools.
For collectors, they offer something equally important:
The opportunity to experience history directly.
The Future of Rare Book Collecting
Interest in rare books has never been stronger.
Over the past several decades, manuscripts and early printed books have consistently achieved remarkable prices at Christie's, Sotheby's and the world's leading auction houses.
Yet the market has also changed.
The greatest masterpieces are increasingly unlikely to appear for sale.
Many have entered permanent museum collections.
Others belong to national libraries where they will remain indefinitely.
Each passing decade reduces the number of opportunities for collectors to acquire truly historic originals.
As a result, museum-quality facsimile editions have acquired a new importance.
They are no longer viewed simply as reproductions.
They have become an essential means of preserving access to humanity's greatest written achievements.
Future generations may never own a Gutenberg Bible, a Codex Leicester or the Codex Gigas.
But they can still experience these extraordinary works in a form that honours the original creators and preserves their legacy.
Preserving Humanity's Greatest Books
Every civilisation is remembered through its greatest creations.
Its architecture.
Its music.
Its paintings.
Its literature.
And its books.
The masterpieces featured in this article represent some of the highest achievements in human history.
The Gutenberg Bible transformed communication.
Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Leicester and Madrid Codices redefined scientific observation and engineering.
The monumental Codex Gigas gathered medieval knowledge on an unprecedented scale.
The magnificent Astronomicum Caesareum united astronomy, mathematics and craftsmanship into one of the finest printed books ever produced.
And Don Quixote forever changed the art of storytelling.
Their pages contain far more than words.
They preserve the ambitions, discoveries and imagination of entire generations.
At Galobart Limited Editions, we believe these masterpieces deserve to be experienced—not only admired from behind museum glass.
For this reason, every edition we create seeks to honour the original with absolute respect for its history, craftsmanship and cultural significance.
Whether recreating the monumental scale of the Codex Gigas XXL, the extraordinary working volvelles of the Astronomicum Caesareum XXL, the engineering genius of Leonardo's Madrid Codices, the scientific brilliance of the Codex Leicester, or the literary mystery surrounding The Original Manuscript of Don Quixote, our goal remains the same.
To ensure that some of humanity's greatest books continue to inspire future generations.
Because the greatest books are never simply read.
They become part of our collective memory.
And preserving that memory is one of the most important responsibilities we share.
Continue Your Journey
If you enjoyed this article, you may also be interested in exploring these collector's editions:
- Codex Leicester – Collector's Edition
- Codex Gigas XXL – Collector's Edition
- Astronomicum Caesareum XXL – Collector's Edition
- Leonardo da Vinci's Madrid Codices I & II
- The Original Manuscript of Don Quixote – Collector's Edition
At a Glance
The table below summarises the extraordinary books featured throughout this article, highlighting their historical significance, estimated value and current location.
| Book | Date | Estimated Value | Current Location | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gutenberg Bible | c.1455 | €35 million | Various libraries | The birth of modern printing |
| Codex Leicester | c.1506–1510 | US$30.8 million | Bill Gates Collection | Leonardo's scientific masterpiece |
| Codex Gigas | c.1229 | US$20–40+ million (estimated) | National Library of Sweden | Largest medieval manuscript ever created |
| Shakespeare First Folio | 1623 | US$9.98 million | Various collections | Preserved Shakespeare's greatest plays |
| Astronomicum Caesareum | 1540 | US$3–6 million (estimated) | Major museums & libraries | The most spectacular astronomical book of the Renaissance |
| Madrid Codices I & II | c.1490–1505 | Priceless | National Library of Spain | Leonardo's engineering notebooks |
| Original Manuscript of Don Quixote | c.1604 | >US$100 million (estimated) | Lost | The lost manuscript of the first modern novel |
Did You Know?
The Codex Gigas Required the Parchment of Around 160 Animals
To produce its more than 600 enormous pages, medieval craftsmen are believed to have used the parchment of approximately 160 animals. Measuring nearly one metre (three feet) tall and weighing around 75 kilograms (165 pounds), the Codex Gigas remains the largest surviving medieval manuscript ever created. Its extraordinary size alone makes it one of the greatest achievements in the history of bookmaking.
Bill Gates Owns Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Leicester
When Bill Gates acquired Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Leicester in 1994 for US$30.8 million, he became the owner of the world's most expensive scientific manuscript. Rather than keeping it hidden in a private collection, Gates digitised the manuscript and has regularly loaned it to major museums around the world, allowing millions of visitors to explore Leonardo's remarkable ideas.
Every Original Copy of the Astronomicum Caesareum Was Assembled Entirely by Hand
The magnificent Astronomicum Caesareum is famous for its spectacular volvelles—complex rotating paper mechanisms used to calculate the movements of the heavens. Every disc had to be individually printed, carefully cut, assembled and attached by hand. Producing a single copy required an extraordinary amount of craftsmanship, making it one of the most technically demanding and expensive books of the Renaissance.
Fewer Than 50 Complete Gutenberg Bibles Survive
Although approximately 180 copies of the Gutenberg Bible were originally printed around 1455, fewer than 50 substantially complete copies are known to survive today. Many are preserved in national libraries, universities and museums, where they are regarded as some of the greatest treasures in the history of printing.
The Original Manuscript of Don Quixote Has Never Been Found
Despite more than four centuries of research, Miguel de Cervantes' original handwritten manuscript of Don Quixote has never been recovered. Historians still do not know whether it was destroyed shortly after printing or whether it remains undiscovered in an archive or private collection. If it were ever rediscovered, many experts believe it would become one of the most valuable literary manuscripts in history.
Why Museums Display Only One Opening
If you have ever visited a museum or library exhibition, you may have noticed that rare books are almost always displayed open to a single pair of pages.
This is not by chance.
Light, temperature fluctuations and repeated page-turning gradually damage fragile manuscripts that may be hundreds of years old. To preserve them for future generations, conservators carefully limit their exposure, sometimes changing the opening only every few months.
As a result, visitors often see less than one percent of the book.
This is one of the reasons why museum-quality facsimile editions have become so important. They allow historians, students and collectors to experience every page, appreciating the work as its creators originally intended, while helping to protect the priceless originals from unnecessary handling.
A Final Thought
Every civilisation leaves behind monuments.
Some are built in stone.
Others are painted on canvas.
The greatest, however, are written on paper.
Long after kingdoms disappear and empires fall, great books continue to speak.
They preserve ideas.
They inspire generations.
They remind us who we were—and who we might yet become.
Some books tell history.
The greatest books become history.