A rare 400-year-old Bible, one of the earliest printings of the 1611 King James Bible, has sold at auction for £23,000 — more than five times its initial guide price.
The first edition, purchased by Norfolk-based book dealer Simon Finch, is particularly prized for a printing error in the Book of Ruth, which reads “and he went into the city” rather than the corrected “and she went into the city.” This mistake identifies it as a “He” version, among the rarest surviving copies.
Reflecting on the purchase, Mr Finch said: “It’s a wonderful thing. I really was happy to pay the money. I’m very pleased I took the time to examine it properly ahead of the auction — without that, I probably wouldn’t have got involved in the bidding.”
The copy, though missing its map and title page, was described as “very good” by Mr Finch, with no significant damage or tampering.
Coralie Thomson, a specialist at Duggleby Stephenson, explained the historical significance: “This English translation of the Bible was commissioned by King James in 1604 and involved nearly 50 of the country’s leading scholars. It was finally published in 1611, and early copies contained printing mistakes, including the notable verse in Ruth. The ‘He’ versions are now among the rarest.”
The auction house had set a cautious pre-sale guide of £2,000–£4,000. However, a surge of advance bids saw the hammer price soar, with bidding opening at £10,500 and eventually reaching £23,000.
