(KCPW News) Salt Lake City rare book dealer Ken Sanders says an ordinary appraisal event turned into the find of a lifetime over the weekend. One of the world’s oldest printed books, believed to have been made in 1493, turned out to be sitting at a home in Sandy.
“Late in the afternoon, a fellow sits down at the table, he paid his two bucks for his appraisal and he says ‘well I have something here very valuable and old,'” said Sanders. “This guy proceeds to unwrap from a large plastic sack an admittedly falling apart book. And it turns out it’s something he inherited.”
The book is a German copy of the “The Nuremberg Chronicle.”
Sanders says the copy is complete, with more than 1,800 woodcut illustrations.
“I knew it was gold. I knew it was something really good. It was just so exciting to be able to feel and handle this,” Sanders said. “It’s so ironic in the 21st century when everyone is doom and gloom about the death of the book, here I am examining a book from the birth of the book.”
Sanders says he’ll be talking with the book’s owner — who wishes to remain anonymous — this week to determine a good home for it. It’s estimated to be worth between $75,000 and $100,000.
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