NEW YORK—A first edition of the book in which Nicolaus Copernicus broached his earthshaking theory of the cosmos has fetched more than $2.2 million at a New York auction, nearly doubling the expected price.
The 1543 copy of Copernicus' "De revolutionibus orbium coelestium" (On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres) was among more than 300 books offered at Christie's. The auction house says Tuesday's sale brought in a total of more than $11 million.
The Copernicus book puts forth the astronomer's theory that the sun -- rather than the Earth -- is at the center of the universe. Christie's called the volume offered for sale "arguably the finest copy in private hands."
It was expected to sell for up to $1.2 million. The buyer's name isn't disclosed on Christie's Web site.
The prices include the auction house's commission, known as the buyer's premium.
