DALLAS — A rare first edition of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone sold Thursday, December 9, at the Rare Books Signature Auction at Heritage Auctions for $471,000. It is the highest price ever paid for the boy wizard’s debut in any form and topped a sale that grossed $2.8 million.

“And not only is it the most expensive Harry Potter book ever sold, it’s the most expensive commercially published Twentieth Century work of fiction ever sold,” says Heritage Auctions executive vice president Joe Maddalena. “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was brought to life on the big screen two decades ago, and this result shows the power of that combination of literature and cinema. These books are being rewarded for the results of their films.”

After Rowling’s debut was rejected by a dozen publishers, Bloomsbury printed just 500 hardback copies of Philosopher’s Stone, with most bound for public libraries. The few copies that have surfaced at auction have become among the most coveted titles in modern literature, with two others selling in 2021 for more than $138,000.

For information, www.ha.com.