Valuable-Scientific-Manuscripts

We believe a book going to auction this week is a rare opportunity for collectors who appreciate significant scientific achievement. The hardcover copy of "Atomic Energy in the Coming Era" (1949) is signed by a "who's who" of 20th Century physics.

The 2021 auction market was quite extraordinary, with unprecedented levels of participation and sales. From cars to colt revolvers to multi-million-dollar NFTs, this sweeping look at the highlights is full of fascinating tales and astonishing prices.

Our third annual survey of the most valuable scientific manuscripts and instruments sold during the calendar year is dominated by Nobel-Prize-winning American physicist Richard Feynman​, with a $9.6 million copy of John James Audubon​​'s Birds of America topping the list.

2017 was a spectacular year for the auction of historical and storied objects. The world's most valuable painting, gemstone, earrings, wristwatch and religious document changed hands, but as usual scant regard was paid to the landmark scientific texts which underpin mankind's understanding.

2016 was a spectacular year for scientific documents and manuscripts, capturing a cavalcade of the most wonderful and important milestones in scientific thought across the ages. The top 50 most important documents of 2016 highlights just how hellishly ignorant humanity was just a short while ago.

It's a quiet time for auctions this week, but there are some fine objets d'art coming to auction over the next few weeks and in particular Heritage Auctions' Gentleman Collector Estate sale opens for bidding today and concludes 19 January, with many items of immense fascination for the technophile.

After a week of daily stories, our journey into scientific discovery viewed through the prices fetched by manuscripts on the auction block is complete. The 10 most expensive scientific documents ever sold at auction follows.​

This installment of our top 50 scientific documents moves into heavyweight territory with Isaac Newton's "Principia Mathematica", "De revolutionibus orbium coelestium" by Nicolaus Copernicus, the Archimedes Palimpsest, and Einstein's letter to Franklin D Roosevelt that catalyzed nuclear warfare.

From the rare scribblings of Alan Turing through to the genius of Newton, Einstein and Émilie du Châtelet​, we continue to navigate our way through the fascinating list of the 50 most valuable scientific documents of all-time​.

In the third installment of our series covering the most valuable scientific documents of all-time we encounter works from Aristotle and one of history's greatest female scientists, along with the first "accurate and complete" map of the world.

This is the second of a six part series covering the most valuable scientific documents and manuscripts. This installment covers #50 to #41, beginning with Einstein's first scientific paper, which was written when he was 16-years of age.

A close look at the world's most valuable scientific documents and manuscripts illustrates both how far science has come in a relatively short time, and how little we value our legacy in monetary terms.