Discovered a precious Bible from 1669 in a pile of abandoned books in Wahroonga

A rare and surprising finding. That's what Lifeline’s Carole Stannard and volunteers found in Lifeline, Wahroonga, NSW, a 345 year old Bible which has travelled far and wide to find its way into a discarded pile of books in there.

The intricately illustrated King James Bible, printed in 1669, was discovered by while they were rummaging through donations for a used book fair. “We don’t know who dropped off the Bible but it was originally from London, printed by John Bill and Christopher Barker, who were printers to the king’s most excellent majesty from 1669,” Stannard said.

Antiquarian bookseller and valuer Peter Tinslay, who appraised the book, said there were no doubts about it being genuine. “It’s not in bad condition, a little foxing. It’s been rebound and trimmed quite close to the upper margin,” he said.

The Bible which has more than 150 detailed illustrations will now go under the hammer this weekend. “It lacks the title page which affects the price considerably” Tinslay said.

Tinslay also said the book may not appeal to all serious collectors but it still had historical value. “It wouldn’t be a good investment to buy a book without a title page, but someone might like it because of its age” he said. “A lot of the collections you buy here have come from the UK, someone has usually brought them out and then passed them through the family and eventually when someone dies and no one wants it, then it gets out into the market” he said.

In any case, Carole Stannard recognises that “we sold a similar Bible for $1400 at a silent auction that we hold”. This is not the first priceless piece which fell into the hands of Stannard in Lifeline, “this year’s auction will have 33 items including a 19th century encyclopaedia,” she said.

By Santi Ivar

Sources:

www.couriermail.com.au 

Image: The Australian