LONDON – A remarkable collection of William Shakespeare’s first four folio editions is set to go under the hammer at an auction next month, with estimates suggesting it could fetch between 3.5 million and 4.5 million pounds, translating to approximately $6 million. This significant sale was announced by Sotheby’s auction house in celebration of Shakespeare’s 461st birthday. The auction, scheduled for May 23, marks a rare occasion since 1989 where the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Folios will be auctioned off as a single ensemble.
The First Folio, titled “Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories & Tragedies,” was compiled posthumously in 1623 by Shakespeare’s friends and fellow actors, John Heminges and Henry Condell. This pioneering edition contained 36 of Shakespeare’s plays, half of which had never been published before. If not for this collection, influential works such as “Macbeth,” “The Tempest,” and “Twelfth Night” might have been lost. Sotheby’s lauds the First Folio as arguably “the most significant publication in the history of English literature.”
Originally, about 750 copies of the First Folio were printed, and an estimated 230 copies are known to persist today. Most of these are preserved within museums, universities, and libraries. Few remain in private collections, one of which sold for an impressive $9.9 million at an auction in 2020.
Following the success of the First Folio, updated versions soon followed. The Second Folio emerged in 1632, the Third in 1663, and the Fourth in 1685. Although the First Folio holds the crown of being the most valuable, the Third Folio is considered the rarest with just 182 surviving copies, partly because many of its stock may have been lost during the Great Fire of London in 1666. The Third Folio is notable for including seven extra plays; however, only “Pericles, Prince of Tyre” is widely believed to have been authored by Shakespeare himself.
Seeing these literary treasures go up for sale is a remarkable event, drawing attention from historians, collectors, and Shakespeare enthusiasts alike. This auction not only renews interest in Shakespeare’s legacy but also underscores the enduring value and intrigue of his seminal works.