If you happen to have an old copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone at home, make sure you check the publication date.
There are estimated to be around 200 hardback first editions which could be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds each, as they could be in good condition, according to The Metro.
One of them is set to go under the hammer at Christie’s in London this month.
The book, signed by author J. K. Rowling, still has some of the original errors in before they were caught and corrected for future editions.
For example, ‘philosophers’ is misspelled as ‘philosphers’ with the second ‘o’ missing on the back cover.
Another error crops up on page 53, when ‘one wand’ is repeated twice in the list of items which pupils are asked to take to Hogwarts with them.
The auction house is inviting offers starting from £200,000 pounds in the private sale. It will go under the hammer as part of the Art of Literature: Loan and Selling Exhibition, with books on display to the public before being sold.
Only 500 hardback copies of the first Harry Potter book were printed in an initial run-on June 26, 1997.
Three hundred of those were sent to libraries, meaning they probably saw quite heavy use so will not be in great condition. The other ones are the ones which could fetch a fortune.
Rowling was unknown at the time of publication, but the series about the magical world of witches and wizards went on to become a global hit.
Mark Wiltshire, a specialist in printed books and co-curator of the auction exhibition, said: “In many ways, this book is the physical manifestation of a magic memory for so many people and that’s what makes it so desirable.”
