Books / history-of-the-gutenberg-bible
Facts about History of the Gutenberg Bible
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A Gutenberg Bible sold at auction in 1987 for over $5 million, setting a record price for a printed book at that time.
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Each Gutenberg Bible was hand-rubricated and illuminated after printing, meaning individual decorative elements varied between copies.
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Copies of the Gutenberg Bible were printed on both vellum and paper, with the vellum copies being rarer and more prized.
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Johann Gutenberg financed his Bible printing through a loan from Johann Fust, who later sued him and seized the printing equipment.
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Approximately 180 copies of the Gutenberg Bible were printed, and around 49 complete or partial copies survive today.
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The Gutenberg Bible, printed around 1455, was among the first major books produced using movable type in Europe.