Newton’s gravity book sells for over $576,000
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In 2026, a first edition of Isaac Newton’s Philosophiae naturalis principia mathematica sold for US$576,000, approximately Rs 5.49 crore, at Christie’s.
The 1687 book presented Newton’s laws of motion and universal gravitation, changing how people understood the physical world. Newton built on the work of earlier astronomers like Nicolaus Copernicus and Galileo Galilei, unifying explanations for movement on Earth and in space. Astronomer Edmond Halley played a key role in bringing Newton’s work to publication.
Halley encouraged Newton to publish, helped with proofreading and diagrams, and personally funded the printing when the Royal Society lacked funds. Newton acknowledged Halley’s support in the book’s preface, recognizing his crucial contribution to the project. The sold copy of Principia was a rare first edition with a two-line imprint on the title page. It featured a calfskin binding, an engraved plate of a comet’s orbit, and diagrams throughout the text.
The book had passed through the hands of Lord and Lady Kennet of the Dene, a British aristocratic family, before being sold at auction in 2015 and again in 2026. Its value reflects its historical importance, rarity, and condition.
