The presentation copy of Emma originally gifted to Jane Austen’s good friend Anne Sharp (and likely real-life model for Mrs. Weston) garnered £325,000 – or $489,747 – in a transaction announced this week. Christiaan Jonkers of British-based Jonkers Rare Books purchased the copy at auction in 2008 for considerably less (£180,000/$271,294). For more discussion…
Thanks for the shoutout Kalikins. It is indeed a handsome fortune to pay for a book. If I had close to half a million dollars just sittin’ around, I would have bought it before that British collector in a flash.
We could have taken up a collection back when it was UFA!