A Treasure Trove of Rare and Valuable Books and Texts in the World That Will Leave You Amazed

Do you ever go by Tiffany’s or Armani’s windows simply to salivate over what’s on the other side? Unless you have millions burning a hole in your pocket and want to spend it on books, this post will be a similar experience. We’ll look at the top eight most expensive books and texts ever sold or are existing. We will also uncover the fact that what makes them so valuable is that people like Bill Gates will pay tens of millions of dollars for a copy. Most of the books on this list are highly rare, but several are also extremely important historical records, which makes them very valuable.

List of the Most Valuable Books and Texts in the World

This table includes the top 8 expensive books and texts with their rank, estimated value, sale price, and name in the world.

Codex Leicester

The most expensive book ever sold was the Codex Leicester, which Bill Gates purchased in 1994 for $30.8 million, which equates to around $60.4 million in 2023.

What makes it so unique? The Codex Leicester served as Leonardo da Vinci’s science journal. It was created in 1510 and features da Vinci’s paintings, theories, and observations. Most of the topics in his book are about water movement, moon luminescence, and why marine creature fossils may be discovered on mountains. After purchasing the Codex, Gates had it digitally digitized and released some of the pictures as screen savers and wallpapers for Windows 98 Plus. Let`s read more about the world most expensive computers that are unique.

United States Constitution

The United States Constitution will be the second most pricey book in 2023. This historic constitution, which replaced the Articles of Confederation in 1789, serves as the highest law of the United States. It is made up of seven articles that set up the structure and constraints of the United States government, incorporating ideals such as the separation of powers and federalism.

The Constitution was drafted during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, which included delegates from 12 of the original 13 states working to replace the Articles of Confederation. The US Constitution has been changed 27 times. The first 10 changes are called the Bill of Rights and protect people’s rights. The Constitution has had a big impact on laws in other countries and is very valuable because of its history. In 2023, it was the second most expensive book. Read more about the highest paid entertainers in the world you should know who invest their money in expensive books.

Letters from Zhao Mengfu to his friend Guo Tianxi

Zhao Mengfu’s letter is the third most expensive document in the world and is highly valued for its historical and artistic significance.  Zhao Mengfu was a famous artist and scholar in China during the Yuan dynasty. He was very good at calligraphy, painting, and writing. He had a big influence on Chinese art, especially landscape painting. He made landscape painting simpler and more traditional. Read more about the expensive painting ever sold.

His paintings of horses and landscapes are very popular because they are simple and beautiful”The Mind Landscape of Xie Youyu,” one of his most famous landscape paintings, was once supposed to honor a nature-loving scholar, but a current study reveals it was dedicated to his spiritual instructor, Daoist scholar Du Daojian. This text has a rich creative history and cultural heritage, which totally explains its high value of money.

Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon is a religious text of the Latter Day Saint movement that contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from 600 BC to AD 421, with a pause dated by the text to the unspecified time of the Tower of Babel. It first came out in March 1830 as The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon on Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi by Joseph Smith. The Book of Mormon is one of the Latter Day Saint movement’s earliest and most well-known unique works.

The Book of Mormon is currently the most expensive religious volume ever sold. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints paid millions in 2017 for a handwritten printer’s manuscript from 1830. The oldest copies of the Book of Mormon were printed using this text.

Letter from Zeng Gong to his friend (júshì tiè 局事帖)

A 124-character letter written approximately 1,000 years ago by a prominent Chinese scholar received 207 million yuan (m) at an auction in Beijing on May 15, 2016. This is not the first time this letter has appeared in auctions; seven years ago, it sold for 108.6 million yuan, making it the first work of Chinese calligraphy to sell for more than 100 million yuan.

Jushi Tie () is a letter that measures 29 x 39.5 cm (11.4 × 15.5 in). It is the only surviving work of the Chinese scholar Zeng Gong (, 1019-1083), who was considered as one of the Tang and Song dynasties’ eight Great Prose Masters.  In the letter, written in his latter years, Zeng talks to a friend about his recent political struggles and feelings of loneliness, while also thanking the latter for his support during a low moment in his career as a government official. Let’s take a look at the most valuable rare gems that will surprise you.

Codex Sassoon 1053

Codex Sassoon is a 10th-century Hebrew Bible codex that was recently discovered. It is the earliest complete copy of the Hebrew Bible and is one of the most important historical documents in the world. The codex is currently on display at Sotheby’s in London. It is expected to sell for 30-50 million, making it the most valuable printed manuscript or historical document ever offered at auction.

The codex bears the name of its known modern owner, David Solomon Sassoon (1880-1942), who collected the world’s most significant private collection of Judaica and Hebraica manuscripts. The emergence of the Codex brings to an end a huge “silent period” in which just little Hebrew literature survived from the time of the last of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the second century until the ninth century.

Sherborne Missal

The Sherborne Missal is an amazing decorated book from England from the 15th century recognized for its remarkable International Gothic style. It’s a big, thick book with 347 vellum pages that have somehow survived the decades. This priceless piece of art is often exhibited at the British Library’s Ritblat Gallery and is regarded as one of the most impressive English service books from the later Middle Ages.

It was commissioned between 1385 and 1415 by Robert Bruyning, Abbot of St Mary in Sherborne, for the abbey’s usage. The principal scribe was John Whas, a monk from Sherborne Abbey, and the chief artist was John Siferwas, a Dominican friar. The missal has detailed images of British birds as well as several pictures of Bruyning and Saint Wulfsige. It was most likely commissioned to honor Bruyning’s legacy, promote the church’s history, and generate cash for the church’s rebuilding and renovation. The Duke of Northumberland donated the Sherborne Missal to the British Library in 1998.

Magna Carta

Magna Carta is the eighth most expensive text in the world, and it is a very important document in English history. It was created in 1215 by a group of barons who were unhappy with the way King John was ruling England. The Magna Carta limited the king’s power and gave more rights to the people. It is one of the most important documents in the history of democracy.

The Carlyle Group’s David Rubenstein spent 21.3 million to make sure that a 1297 edition of the historic document remained in the United States, whose own government had been greatly influenced by the values stated in the charter.