When most of us think of reading books we rarely stop to think that these books might in fact be collector’s items. Usually we’re just happy to pay $1.99 for a gem on Kindle or if we’re really gonna splurge we’ll drop ten bucks on a paperback version of one of our favorite classics.

However, not all people think about books as being simply things to read. Many think of books as works of art, not to mention great investments. Well, that’s if you’re talking about some of the books we’re going to mention in this list of the 15 most expensive books in the world…..

The Codex Leicester – $30.8 Million

Leonardo da Vinci is known for his beautiful artwork, so it might surprise some people to know he wrote a 72 page notebook of his musings on life. The book was owned by Earls and then estate collectors, but in 1994, The Codex Leicester, was purchased by none other than Bill Gates for – you might want to sit down for this — $30.8 million.

(Photo Source – Amazon.com)

Gospels of Henry the Lion – $11.7 Million

A 12th century masterpiece called The Gospels of Henry the Lion written by the Order of Saint Benedict was originally commissioned by, well, Henry the Lion. He was also known as the Duke of Saxony in his time. This book is the only gospel of its kind, making it worth an impressive $11.7 million.

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Bay Psalm Book – $14.2 Million

The Bay Psalm Book is the first book ever published in the United States, making it a very valuable piece of work. How valuable is this first published book? So valuable that it sold in 2013 for $14.2 million.

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Birds of America – $11.5 Million

John James Audubon wrote a book called Birds of America. If you’re into birds, it sounds great. If not, you probably wouldn’t be overly interested in spending a whopping $11.5 million on this particular book.

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Canterbury Tales – $7.5 Million

Canterbury Tales is one of the most beloved, well-known and famous books in the world. Its author, Geoffrey Chaucer, published only 12 original copies in 1477 and only one is held privately today. This particular first edition is a staggering $7.5 million.

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First Folio – $6 Million

William Shakespeare published only 750 editions of First Folio, and as of today there are only 228 known to exist in the world. Being one of so few intact copies of one of Shakespeare’s most prized works, this book retails for approximately $6 million.

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Les Liliacees – $5 Million

Les Liliacees by Pierre Joseph Redoute was written in 1802 and sold in the 1980s for a staggering $5 million to a private collector. This work is known as one of the most valuable in French literature, which is why it is so coveted.

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The Gutenberg Bible – $4.9 Million

The Gutenberg Bible was the first Bible printed in movable type. It’s also one of only 48 copies in the world, which makes it pretty valuable (and it’s so much easier to see why the Bible is valuable than a book about fruit trees). That’s why this book sold for approximately $4.9 million.

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Traite des Arbres Fruitiers – $4.5 Million

If you love fruit trees, perhaps you’d love to spend $4.5 million on a collection of five fruit tree books written by Henri Louis Duhamel du Monceau and illustrated by Pierre Jean Francois Turpin and Pierre Antoine. Poiteau. Traite des Arbres Fruitiers is just that; the world’s most expensive book about, well, fruit trees.

(Photo Source – Amazon.com)

Geographia Cosmographia – $4 Million

The atlas is a big deal, but the first ever printed atlas, Geographia Cosmographia by Claudius Ptolemy was written in 1477 and sold at auction in 2006. The sales price? A staggering $4 million.

(Photo Source – Amazon.com)

The Tales of Beedle the Bard – $3.98 Million

J.K. Rowling is one of the most famous authors of all time, thanks to her Harry Potter series. However, when the author wrote The Tales of Beedle the Bard, which is now a famous children’s book, she only published seven copies. She gave six to people close to her and auctioned one off for $3.98 million to Amazon.com. The proceeds were all given to charity.

(Photo Source – Amazon.com)

The First Book of Urizen – $2.5 Million

William Blake is the author of The First Book of Urizen, which retails for approximately $2.5 million. It is said to be the most important piece of a collection written by Blake, as well as one of only a few known copies. It is believed that only 8 remain in existence, which is why a private collector bought the book at a Sotheby’s auction for this price.

(Photo Source – Amazon.com)

Don Quixote (1st Edition) – $1.5 Million

Everyone has heard of Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, written sometime between 1605 and 1615, but most people don’t realize that the first edition is worth so much money. In fact, it’s worth an estimated $1.5 million.

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Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – $1.4 Million

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is one of the most well-known stories in the world. It’s a child’s favorite, written in 1865 by Lewis Carroll. The first addition of this fantasy story sold for approximately $1.4 million in 1998.

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The Federalist – $1.3 Million

The Federalist, written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and James Madison isn’t your typical story, but it is a famous one and that makes it pretty expensive. It went for $1.3 million in 1990.

Image via Public Domain