Rare Harry Potter book first bought for £1 could fetch thousands at auction

Proof copy mispells author JK Rowling’s name as ‘JA Rowling’

A rare proof copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – one of only 200 ever printed – could sell for thousands after being bought for just £1.

The book, which misspells author JK Rowling’s name as “JA Rowling”, is a proof copy created ahead of the novel’s official publication for review.

It is also notably the first time that Harry Potter ever appeared in print.

Bidding for the book is set to open at $2,500 (£1,969) at the auction in Dallas, Texas, and comes after a first edition copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone sold for $471,000 (£371,892) in 2021.

The proof copy was bought at a publisher’s sale for just £1 ($1.27) back in 1997 – the same year the book itself came out but notably before the Harry Potter series became a global sensation.

The purchase was made by St. Kenelm’s School of Minster Lovell, Oxfordshire, and it remained in their possession until 2002 when it was sold to a local business owner, Dale Henry, for an unreported amount.

This money was used to benefit the local area and Henry plans to to donate the proceeds of its sale this summer to the community too.

A spokesperson for the action told The Independent that a proof copy of Harry Potter sold for £11,000 ($13,964) earlier this year and they are expecting this copy to sell for at least $5,000 ($6,347).

The proof copy is the first ever printing in the Harry Potter series. (Heritage Auctions)

“When I first heard of the proof, I was immediately intrigued by both its unique history and its connection to the area – as well as the fact that my wife is a massive Potterhead,” Henry said.

“I hope others are similarly compelled, and I see this auction as an opportunity to reinvest in the community during a tough time.”

The book will be sold at the Historical Platinum auction event in Dallas on 25 July 25, but pre-bidding will start next Monday (1 July).

Those interested can make their bids online, through the phone and in the room through the online auction platform Heritage Live.

News of the auction comes hot on the heels of the sale of the original painting used for the cover of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

Sotheby’s, the auctioneer, valued the watercolour at between $400,000 to $600,000 (£320,420 to £480,630).

The original Harry Potter artwork is also up for auction. (Sotheby’s New York)

The iconic artwork by Thomas Taylor was his first-ever professional commission and it was created after he became one of the first people in the world to read the boy wizard’s story.

“It is exciting to see the painting that marks the very start of my career, decades later and as bright as ever,” he said.

“It takes me back to the experience of reading Harry Potter for the first time – one of the first people in the world to do so – and the process of creating what is now an iconic image.

“As I write and illustrate my own stories today, I am proud to look back on such magical beginnings.”

The watercolour will be sold to the highest bidder at Sotheby’s in New York on 26 June alongside other literary works.