September 17, 2012

WHAT IS MY OLD BIBLE WORTH?

One of the most common questions any rare book dealer receives is  “What is my Old Bible Worth?”

With notable exceptions, most Bibles printed after 1800 in America and after 1700 in Europe are actually not worth very much money.  That is simply a consequence of the fact that so many Bibles were printed as well as the fact that many were treated as important family heirlooms and have therefore survived the ravages of time.

With that said, there are exceptions to the rule for Bibles with unique appeal or characteristics.    For instance,  there are historically interesting Bibles such as the 1858 “Pony Express Bible” that is a coveted artifact of the Old West or the Harper’s Illuminated and New Pictorial Bible (1843- 1846), which was the  most extensively illustrated American book up until its time.  There are also feats of the printer’s art such as the 1800 Giant Macklin Bible Seven-Volume Bible, which is considered among the most impressive Bibles ever printed.

If you have any questions about a Bible you may have (especially any printed before 1800), feel free to send photos to webuyrarebooks@gmail.com. We are happy to offer a free evaluation.

I thought it would be instructive to look at and appraise, in a step-by-step fashion, a Bible that was recently sent to us and which is shown in the photos below.

IDENTIFICATION:

The book we received was a 1580 copy of the Geneva Bible.  The Geneva Bible is one of the most significant translations of the Bible into English. It was first printed in 1560, a full 51 years before the King James Bible.  It is often referred to as the “Breeches Bible”, because of its translation of Genesis 3:7 (“they sewed figge tree leaves together, and made themselves breeches”).  The Geneva Bible  is  also considered to be the “Bible of the Protestant Reformation” and was naturally the Bible the Puritans held so dear as they stepped off the Mayflower.   The edition here from 1580 is an early edition and increasingly scarce in commerce.

As is often the case with the early Bibles, they are a complicated patchwork of various editions and parts.  This one consists of the following:

[I] The Booke of Common prayer and administration of the Sacraments : and other rites and ceremonies in the Church of England.Imprinted at London : By Christopher Barker …, 1580.  BOUND WITH.. The  Holy Byble.  Publisher: Imprinted at London : By Christopher Barker, printer to the Queenes Maiestie, 1580.  The Newe Testament Of Ovr Lord Iesus Christ Publisher: London: Imprinted by Christopher Barker, 1580.  BOUND WITH… Tvvo right profitable and fruitfull concordances : or large and ample tables alphabeticall. The first containing the interpretation of the Hebrue, Caldean, Greeke, and Latine wordes and names scateringly dispersed throughout the whole Bible: and the second comprehending all such principal vvordes and matters, as concerne the sense and meaning of the Scriptures. The further contents and vse of both the which tables, (for breuitie sake) is expressed more at large in the preface to the reader. Collected by R.F.H.Publisher: Imprinted at London : by Christopher Barker, printer to the Queenes Maiestie. Cum priuilegio Regiæ Maiestatis, [1580] BOUND WITH… Thomas Sternhold; John Hopkins; William Whittingham.  The whole boke of psalmes. Publisher: At London : Printed by Iohn Daye, dwelling ouer Aldersgate, 1580.

COMPLETENESS AND CONDITION:

Perhaps the first thing to consider in an appraisal, after the identification of the Bible and an assessment of its historical importance, is its completeness. Sadly, in the case of this particular Bible, it is NOT complete.  The first part bound, the Booke of Common Prayer,  is just a fragment.  The title page of the Old Testament is missing and has been replaced by a modern facsimile.  Finally, the Book is Psalms is also severely incomplete.   This certainly affects the value significantly as there is a very wide price disparity between complete copies and incomplete ones (especially when important pages are missing such as a title page).  As to the condition, when it comes to early bibles, as they were heavily used and often printed on inexpensive paper stock, one must be somewhat forgiving of the general browning and occasional stains found in the present example.

THE BINDING:

A full original binding (i.e.’ contemporary’ or period) is certainly the most desirable.   This Bible retains enough of the original English paneled calf (likely 17th century) to at least have that wonderful immediate impression of historical authenticity.  With that said, it has been re-backed, i.e. the spine is a period-style, but modern spine.   The paste-downs and the flyleaves are marbled paper and a bit anachronistic for a 16th century Bible.

THE PROVENANCE (PREVIOUS OWNERS):

Occasionally it is possible to find signatures or genealogical records that can tie a specific Bible with an important previous owner or prominent family. It would be lovely to find a copy of a Bible owned by Byron, for example.  In this example, we only have one early owner’s signature to the verso of the last leaf of the Book of Common Prayer: an “Edw. Shopard (likely Shepard) ” in a handsome 17th century calligraphic script.  While there is an early Puritan settler by that name, it is too common a name of the period to ascribe to any particular individual with any confidence.  So, insofar as we are concerned with this Bible, there is little provenance that can add to its value.

VALUE:

We might next turn to internet to look for similar examples.  With Bibles, this can be a treacherous starting point.  Often on the internet, it is possible to find similar Bibles quoted at very high sums.  These are often marketed to buyers that are not sophisticated book collectors, but perhaps just  people who want to own a nice old Bible and are not familiar with the market.   As an enthusiast of early printing, I must say that while I think early Bibles are grossly undervalued when compared to other collectibles, it is still possible to buy them at numerous regular book auctions and often at  surprisingly modest prices. Therefore, when looking for an accurate appraisal, most serious dealers turn to the auction records as a benchmark.

In the American Book Prices Database, it is easy to find a similar example of this Bible that sold in 2010 for approx. $475.  While the flaws are not identical, they are comparable. One should note that the Bible at auction likely possessed a more attractive binding than the present copy as it is described as having “blind-tooled calf with metal fittings”, which can be very handsome.

The auction record for a similar copy:
Bible in English – [New Testament Geneva-Tomson].  L: Christopher Barker, 1580 – Bound with The Sternhold Whole Booke of Psalmes, 1580. – 8vo, – contemp blind-tooled calf with metal fittings – worming to lower cover, rebacked, upper joint split – Bible lacking 1st title & all before E2; a few short tears with loss; 1 leaf def. Psalmes lacking c.25 leaves & with soiling & dampstaining – Bonhams, Oct 12, 2010, lot 206, £300 ($477) – STC 2129; Herbert 164

It is therefore not unreasonable to conclude that the present Bible at auction would command something on the order of $400.   That seems like a rather paltry some for such an interesting and early Bible.   I must agree that indeed it is!   If the general public were more appreciative of the wonder of holding a 16th century Bible in one’s hands, perhaps prices would be higher and booksellers would be happier 😉

 

 

 

 

 

posted in: Rare Books