FX.co ★ 7 most expensive scientific documents

Codex Leicester, Leonardo da Vinci

The document, consisting of 18 sheets of paper and forming a 72-page notebook, is a set of scientific notes made from 1506 to 1510. The notes of the legendary scientist were devoted to various natural phenomena. The pages of the manuscript were written in Leonardo’s distinctive mirror writing. The notebook comprises a large number of mathematical calculations, diagrams, and drawings. It was named after the Earl of Leicester who bought the manuscript in 1717. After being exhibited in all museums around the world, since 2003, the document is located in the Seattle Art Museum. Its price is $30, 802, 500.

Birds of America, John James Audubon

The American naturalist's book, printed from 1827 to 1838, is replete with life-size illustrations of rare species of birds in the United States. Six species are now extinct. The first edition is considered a masterpiece of bookmaking and bibliographic rarity. In 1807, the text of the Ornithological biography was published in five volumes. This book is unique thanks to the highest quality and accuracy of illustrations. Engravings half the size of a man were hand-painted. So, it is no wonder that the price of this book is $11, 570, 496.

Theory of relativity, Albert Einstein

One of the most important discoveries in physics, the theory of relativity, was introduced by Albert Einstein at the beginning of the 20th century. This breakthrough enabled the physicists to address many scientific issues. The theory of relativity radically changed the way the scientists comprehended the space-time concept. Later, Einstein's theory was confirmed by numerous experiments and studies. The cost of the document written in 1905 and completed in 1943 is estimated at $6, 500, 000.

Francis Crick's letter deciphering structure of DNA

British physicist Francis Crick (1916-2004) gave up his work at the age of 31 and devoted himself to studying biology. Six years later, his hard work was rewarded: the scientist made a breakthrough in genetics. Teamed up with other scientists, he deciphered the structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). In March 1953, Francis Crick wrote a letter to his twelve-year-old son, Michael, where he outlined the essence of the greatest discovery of our time. Now, this letter costs $6, 059, 750.

Cosmography, Claudius Ptolemy

The atlas of Claudius Ptolemy (circa 100-170 AD), a Greek-Egyptian writer, mathematician, astronomer, geographer, and poet, was highly praised by his contemporaries. The atlas, created around 150 AD, was translated into Arabic in the 9th century and into Latin in 1406. It is considered the world's first printed atlas available to the public since 1477. There are only 31 copies of this book in the world. This copy, as part of the library of Lord Wardington, was sold at Sotheby's auction in 2006. Its price totaled $3, 966, 804.

Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, Isaac Newton

The manuscript of the work of the famous scientist was published in 1687. Some reputable scientists believe that Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica was the apogee of the scientific revolution. Later Newton’s work became a turning point in modern physics as it provided a lot of mathematical explanations of gravity and motion. The book was evaluated at $3, 719, 500.

Portolan atlas of the world, Battista Agnese

Scientists highly appreciate the work of the leading cartographer of the 16th century from the Republic of Genoa who lived in the Republic of Venice. Battista Agnese was the first cartographer who graphically embodied the discoveries of travelers Marcos de Niza and Francisco de Ulloa. This document is one of the 72 surviving manuscript Portolan atlases created in the workshop of Battista Agnes in 1546. The cost of atlases amounts to $2, 770, 500.