Did you know that the most expensive manuscript ever sold at auction, when adjusted for inflation, was the Codex Leicester? This is one of Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks filled with scientific thoughts and sketches. The Codex, named after a former owner, Thomas Coke, the Earl of Leicester, was purchased by Bill Gates in 1994 for over 30 million dollars. It’s easy to see why someone as curious as Gates would be drawn to this book. Written in Leonardo’s unique mirror writing style, it offers a fascinating glimpse into his brilliant mind. As a true Renaissance man, Leonardo explored a variety of intriguing topics in his diary.
For instance, he pondered the presence of marine fossils on hilltops. Unlike his contemporaries, who either misidentified these fossils or attributed their location to a singular event like the biblical flood, Leonardo proposed a gradual process. He suggested that over time, sedimentary rock formation could explain this phenomenon. He even had an early understanding of what we now call trace fossils, realizing that creatures once burrowed through the sea floor, which later became rocky mountain tops. However, not all his ideas were spot-on; he also thought the moon was covered in water.
Hi, I’m Aaron McCarthy, and welcome to the List Show. The Codex Leicester is just the beginning of our journey through the most expensive items ever sold, from the priciest painting to the costliest kidney stone. Let’s dive in!
Leonardo da Vinci is also credited with the most expensive painting ever sold at auction, possibly “Salvator Mundi,” which portrays Jesus Christ holding a crystal orb. Initially sold for just 45 pounds in 1958, art speculators Robert Simon and Alexander Parish bought it in 2005. They sparked a critical re-evaluation that convinced many experts it was an original Leonardo painting. Despite some skepticism and concerns over extensive restoration, the painting sold for 450 million dollars in 2017, including the buyer’s premium.
The most expensive sculpture ever purchased is Alberto Giacometti’s “L’Homme au doigt.” Originally intended to include a second figure, the plan was abandoned. Decades later, hedge fund mogul Steve Cohen bought it for over 140 million dollars, setting a record for a sculpture sold at auction.
While 140 million dollars is a hefty sum, it’s small compared to another Cohen acquisition: the New York Mets. He bought the team in 2020 for 2.4 billion dollars, the highest recorded purchase price for a professional sports team. Owning a sports team comes with perks like the best seats and player interactions.
Did you know the Roman Empire was once auctioned? After the Praetorian Guard killed Emperor Pertinax, Didius Julianus bought the empire for 25,000 sesterces per soldier. Unfortunately, this led to a civil war and his eventual beheading.
The highest price for a single auction lot of guns belongs to George Washington’s set of saddle pistols, sold for nearly two million dollars in 2002. These pistols were once owned by Andrew Jackson and gifted by the Marquis de Lafayette.
Some of the most expensive underwear ever belonged to Queen Victoria. Embroidered with “VR” for Victoria Regina, these undergarments sold for over 16,000 dollars due to their historical significance.
The passion of royal fans is rivaled by Trekkies. When William Shatner wanted to raise money for Habitat for Humanity, he sold a past kidney stone for 25,000 dollars to an online casino.
The most expensive hair sold at auction belonged to Elvis Presley, fetching 115,000 dollars in 2002. However, later sales of similar hair led to authenticity disputes and legal issues.
In Japan, a three-inch stag beetle sold for 89,000 dollars, making it the world’s most expensive beetle. Early typewriters, featuring hand-engraved letters, also fetch high prices. One sold for over 140,000 dollars in 2019, but Cormac McCarthy’s Olivetti Lettera 32 typewriter holds the record, selling for over a quarter of a million dollars in 2009.
The most expensive comic book ever sold was a pristine copy of “Action Comics” #1, featuring Superman’s debut, purchased for 3.2 million dollars.
One of the world’s most expensive coins is the 1933 double eagle. After a legal battle, the U.S. government sold it for 7.6 million dollars. In June 2021, it was auctioned again with an estimate of 10 to 15 million dollars. An 1856 British Guiana stamp, setting multiple sales records, was also part of that auction.
The world’s most expensive album is the Wu-Tang Clan’s “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin,” sold for two million dollars. After the buyer’s conviction for securities fraud, the album was seized by authorities.
What is the most expensive obscure item you own? For me, it’s a first print of an old board game from the 60s. Let us know in the comments! Don’t forget to subscribe for more videos like this, and thanks for watching!
Research one of the historical auctions mentioned in the article, such as the sale of the Codex Leicester or the Roman Empire auction. Prepare a short presentation to share with the class, focusing on the historical context, the significance of the item, and the impact of the sale.
Imagine a day in the life of Leonardo da Vinci as he worked on his Codex Leicester. Write a creative story or diary entry from his perspective, incorporating his scientific curiosity and unique mirror writing style. Share your story with the class.
Participate in a class debate on the topic: “Are the prices paid for art and collectibles justified?” Use examples from the article, such as “Salvator Mundi” or Elvis Presley’s hair, to support your arguments. Consider the cultural, historical, and financial aspects of these sales.
Explore the process of art restoration by researching the restoration of “Salvator Mundi.” Create a mini-workshop where you discuss the techniques used in art restoration and the controversies that can arise. Consider the balance between preserving original work and restoring it for future generations.
Investigate Leonardo da Vinci’s theories on marine fossils found on hilltops. Conduct a small experiment or create a model to demonstrate sedimentary rock formation and the concept of trace fossils. Present your findings to the class, highlighting how Leonardo’s ideas contributed to modern geology.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Did you know that the most expensive manuscript ever sold at auction, adjusting for inflation, was the Codex Leicester, one of Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks full of scientific musings and sketches? The Codex, which owes its name to a former owner, Thomas Coke, the Earl of Leicester, was sold to Bill Gates in 1994 for over 30 million dollars. It’s pretty easy to see why an inquisitive person like Gates might have been attracted to the book. It was written in Leonardo’s signature mirror writing style and provides a glimpse into his unique way of thinking. The ultimate Renaissance man’s wandering mind takes him to some fascinating places in the diary.
Looking to explain the presence of maritime fossils on hilltops, he broke from contemporary explanations that either misidentified them as something entirely inorganic or tried to account for their location through a one-time event like the biblical deluge. Instead, he suggested a more gradual process, similar to what occurs over years of sedimentary rock formation, and even laid out an incipient understanding of what we’d eventually call trace fossils. He realized centuries before other scientists that creatures that once burrowed their way through a soft sea bottom eventually became rocky mountain top material. Leonardo also thought the moon was covered in water, but not every idea is going to be a winner.
Hi, I’m Aaron McCarthy, and welcome to the List Show. The Codex Leicester is just the first of many most expensive items ever that I’m going to share with you today, from the priciest painting to the costliest kidney stone. Let’s get started!
Leonardo is also responsible for the most expensive painting ever sold at auction, maybe “Salvator Mundi,” which depicts Jesus Christ holding a crystal orb. It was sold in 1958 for just 45 pounds after art speculators Robert Simon and Alexander Parish bought it in 2005. They helped instigate a critical re-evaluation of the piece that eventually convinced many experts that it was an original painting from Leonardo da Vinci. Some skeptics, however, pegged it as a likely copy, while others felt that Leonardo may have played a legitimate role in its creation, but extensive conservation efforts over the years muddled the painting’s value. In the end, their doubts proved no match for a more believing set of experts in the excesses of the art market. The piece sold in 2017 for 450 million dollars, including the buyer’s premium.
The most expensive sculpture ever purchased is Alberto Giacometti’s “L’Homme au doigt.” The piece by the influential Swiss sculptor was originally designed to include a second figure that the pointing man would have his arm around, but that plan was scrapped. Decades later, hedge fund mogul Steve Cohen purchased it for over 140 million dollars, setting a record for a piece of sculpture sold at auction.
140 million is a small amount compared to another famous Cohen acquisition: the New York Mets, which he purchased in 2020 for 2.4 billion dollars, the highest recorded purchase price for a professional sports team.
Owning a sports team comes with some nice perks; you get the best seats in the house, and the players have to pretend to like you. But what about owning an entire empire? Calling it the most expensive empire ever might be a bit of a stretch since I’m not really sure how many empires have ever been put on the open market. However, I had to include the fact that the Roman Empire once sold at auction for 25,000 sesterces per soldier. The Praetorian Guard had killed the previous emperor, Pertinax, and Didius Julianus was the highest bidder for the well-used empire. For his troubles, he received a prompt civil war and an eventual beheading.
The highest price for a single auction lot of guns belongs to George Washington’s set of saddle pistols, which were sold for nearly two million dollars back in 2002. The pistols were actually in Andrew Jackson’s possession for a number of years, but they were a gift from the Marquis de Lafayette.
Some of the most expensive underwear ever purchased once belonged to Queen Victoria. The royal underwear in question was embroidered with the initials “VR” for Victoria Regina and was especially prized because their noticeable alterations allowed royal enthusiasts to date them to the last decade of the queen’s life. The underpants went for a little over 16,000 dollars.
Even the considerable passion of royal fans pales in comparison to the fervor of Trekkies. That may be why when William Shatner wanted to raise money for Habitat for Humanity, his past kidney stone was able to fetch 25,000 dollars from an online casino.
Let’s keep it interesting: the most expensive hair sold at auction went for a staggering 115,000 dollars in November 2002 and belonged to Elvis Presley. However, the authenticity of some hair sold later was called into question, leading to legal issues for the auction house.
The world’s most expensive beetle was a three-inch stag beetle sold in Japan for 89,000 dollars. Some of the earliest typewriters looked something like this and featured hand-engraved letters. One sold for over 140,000 dollars back in 2019, but the most expensive typewriter ever purchased may belong to Cormac McCarthy’s light blue Olivetti Lettera 32, which sold for over a quarter of a million dollars in 2009.
The most expensive comic book ever sold was a pristine copy of the first issue of “Action Comics,” featuring the debut of Superman, purchased for 3.2 million dollars.
One of the world’s most expensive coins took a winding path to the auction block. It begins with Theodore Roosevelt, who in late 1904 labeled the United States’ existing coinage artistically atrocious. This eventually led to the 20-dollar double eagle coin designed by sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens.
In 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an executive order requiring citizens to turn in many gold coins to the government. While production of the gold double eagle coins was eventually halted, some of the 1933 double eagles did secretly make their way out of the mint. One of these coins eventually ended up in the hands of King Farouk of Egypt.
After a lengthy legal battle, it was determined that the United States government had made an out-of-court deal to sell the coin, which sold for around 7.6 million dollars, the highest auction price for any coin at the time.
In June 2021, the double eagle was auctioned again with an estimate of 10 to 15 million dollars. A pricey piece of postage will also be at that same auction: an 1856 stamp from British Guiana has set four separate sales records over the years.
The world’s most expensive album may not have gone for that much, but it’s certainly one of the more ridiculous items on the list. The single copy of the Wu-Tang Clan’s “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin” was sold to a pharmaceutical executive for two million dollars.
After his conviction for securities fraud in 2017, the album was reportedly seized by the authorities.
What is the most expensive obscure item that you own? For me, it’s the first print of an old discontinued board game from the 60s. Let us know in the comments! Don’t forget to subscribe for more videos just like this, and thanks for watching!
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This version removes any inappropriate language and maintains the informative nature of the content.
Manuscript – A handwritten or typed document, especially a writer’s composition, draft, or ancient text before it is published. – The discovery of the medieval manuscript shed new light on the artistic techniques used during the Gothic period.
Auction – A public sale in which goods or property are sold to the highest bidder, often used for art and historical artifacts. – The rare painting was sold at auction for a record-breaking price, highlighting its historical significance.
Painting – An artwork created using pigments on a surface such as canvas, paper, or a wall, often reflecting cultural and historical themes. – The painting of the Battle of Waterloo captures the intensity and chaos of this pivotal moment in history.
Sculpture – A three-dimensional work of art created by shaping or combining materials such as stone, metal, or wood. – The sculpture of David by Michelangelo is a masterpiece of Renaissance art, exemplifying the era’s emphasis on humanism and anatomical precision.
Empire – A group of states or territories controlled by a single ruler or government, often significant in historical contexts. – The Roman Empire’s vast influence on art and architecture can still be seen in structures across Europe today.
Historical – Relating to or having significance in history; often used to describe events, periods, or artifacts of the past. – The historical accuracy of the film was praised for its detailed depiction of the Victorian era.
Significance – The quality of being worthy of attention; importance, especially in a historical or cultural context. – The significance of the Rosetta Stone lies in its role in deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs, unlocking ancient history.
Fossils – The preserved remains or impressions of organisms from the remote past, often used to study historical life forms. – The fossils found in the region provided crucial insights into the prehistoric ecosystems that once thrived there.
Renaissance – A period of cultural rebirth and revival of classical learning and wisdom, particularly in Europe from the 14th to the 17th century. – The Renaissance was marked by a renewed interest in the arts, leading to groundbreaking developments in painting and sculpture.
Collectibles – Items valued and sought after by collectors, often due to their rarity, historical significance, or artistic merit. – The museum’s exhibit featured collectibles from the Ming Dynasty, showcasing the intricate craftsmanship of the era.
