A Portsmouth library may attempt to reclaim one of its old Harry Potter books after it sold at auction for $55,000 (£42,500).

The first edition Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone bears a "Portsmouth City Library Service" stamp and number.
A California seller sold it at Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas, to a buyer in Tennessee, for more than double its $20,000 estimate.

The library service says the book had gone missing from its collection.

Only 500 hardback first editions of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone were printed in 1997, most of which were sent to UK schools and libraries.


It does not look like the Library disposed of the book, so it still belongs to them. Interested to see what happens and this may change how ex-Library books are sold through auction houses.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-54558176

https://historical.ha.com/itm/books/j- ... leryView-Thumbnail-071515