Antique Bible 1866 English Folio XL Moroccan Leather Complete - Prince Albert

Thanks for looking

Please read the description all the way to the end. Quite a long description but this is a very old, rare and complex Bible so I'd rather you were fully aware of all the facts before you make a decision. Quite a bit of history to this so hopefully worth your while!

Firstly, can I state that I'm neither a theologian or an expert on these antique Bibles. I'm a professional seller on Ebay but actually selling this for a friend. It's been in his family for generations but sadly it's something his family are unlikely to use - its a magnificent example from the era so he hopes it will go to someone who will use and appreciate it regularly.

The Bible in the photos is the one that you'll recieve. As you can see it was published in 1866. I've done some research on this and think it was commissioned by Prince Albert in the final years of his life (died 1861) so whilst the printing was done in 1857 it wasn't bound until 1866 - his memorial year and also apparently it was quite common to print the Bibles but not bind them until they were ordered - usually by an illustrious family a few years later.

The Bible was owned by The Morley family who were wealthy Sugar Trading Merchants  in Liverpool back when it was one of the biggest ports in the world (it still is for sugar!).  It was gifted/loaned to the Church that their own factory workers worshiped. Only the super-rich could have afforded something like this so the Morleys were a family of some note.

The Bibles were made to order and I believe this size is called a folio - it's massive, the biggest one they produced. The pages were stitched into 12 page batches then sewn into the binding. A very labor intensive and time consuming process thus the high original value.

Bibles from this era vary massively in price - what makes this special is that it has color illustrations. A new printing process at the time and had to be custom ordered so there aren't many like this one around. I'd be very surprised if this isn't the only one left of Earth!

Nb - life and values were very different back then so be prepared for a totally different translation and interpretation compared to modern scripture - the content is fascinating!

Details

▪︎ Antique Bible

▪︎ Published 1866 (printed 1857)

▪︎ WR M'Phun, Glasgow, Scotland

▪︎ Commissioned by Prince Albert

▪︎ Old & New Testaments

▪︎ Colour illustrations

▪︎ Hand stitched folio (XL) - 12.5 x 10 x 3.5 inches

▪︎ Heavyweight - 4.5kg

▪︎ Moroccan embossed leather bound

▪︎ Gilt edging

▪︎ Complete - 1000+ pages

▪︎ Hand written inscriptions

Condition

Very good for something that was produced in the same year as The Civil Rights Act was signed in the USA and slavery was abolished! But please bear in mind this was used several times a day, every day in a church for over half a century so don't expect anything brand new! Most importantly, the Bible is complete with all pages present. As you can see in the photos there is a drop of water damage (holy water?) on the inner cover and, whilst the main body of the pages are all still secured together they are beginning to come away from the spine. I've looked into this and you can get it professionally repaired from anything between $100 to $800 for a total restoration. The print is still crisp and clear so you can still read every word easily. Personally, I think it looks great as it is as it has so much character and charm about it but obviously, this is your call

Overall, it's a very rare Bible with some good and some bad points. It's not perfect but definitely usable and it will definitely keep you busy for years to come just reading through it!

Pricing

This is the hard part! Antique Bibles vary so much and have so many variables it's been difficult to get to even a vague value! The good points on this are the size (these massive ones are very rare), content (all complete), color illustrations are a big plus and the Moroccan embossed leather also indicates something special. On the bad side is the condition. Definitely not perfect and although usable it'll need some work.

There are a number of Bible valuation companies that I've approached but to be honest they seem like a scam - they immediately ask for money up front (over $200 before they even speak to you!). There are lots of later published Bibles around from when mass printing was invented - still old books but of a far lower value simply because there are so many around. It appears these valuation companies prey on innocent people looking for a straightforward valuation and if they find a good one like this they'll throw in a lowball offer. I was unimpressed with all of them.

Anyway, from my own research I'm sort of guessing this should be worth about £250. Later, mass produced, smaller editions go for about £50 or a single page from an original Guttenberg print is worth millions! This is a unique piece and would make a fine addition to any collection or just something you can use as a personal item. As I'm selling this for a friend I know he's definitely open to negotiating a better price for this so just ask or send an offer!

Shipped within 24h tracked, insured and signed. Your Bible will be well padded and boxed before shipping to ensure a perfect delivery

Feel free to ask any questions - this is an expensive item so I'm happy to answer any questions. I keep the Bible at home so if you need any additional photos etc just ask!

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Reliable and honest seller - please check my feedback - lots of happy clients! We ship approximately 200 items weekly so buy with confidence. Any problems, you'll get a full refund.

Peace & good luck!