Facts about First Folio of Shakespeare
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Printed in London by Isaac Jaggard and Edward Blount, the First Folio of Shakespeare was originally sold for about one pound per copy.
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Published in folio format, the First Folio of Shakespeare measured roughly 13 by 8 inches, a large size typically reserved for prestigious works like the Bible.
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A copy of the First Folio of Shakespeare sold at Christie's auction in 2020 for over $9.9 million, setting a record for the most expensive printed literary work ever auctioned.
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Fewer than 240 copies of the First Folio of Shakespeare are known to survive today, making each one extraordinarily valuable.
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Without the First Folio of Shakespeare, approximately 18 of his plays, including Macbeth and The Tempest, would likely have been lost entirely.
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The First Folio of Shakespeare, published in 1623, collected 36 of his plays and was compiled by fellow actors John Heminges and Henry Condell.