Charity shop workers at an Oxfam bookshop in Chelmsford were left "absolutely speechless" after a rare Chinese Bible sold for £56,280 at auction.
The valuable text was discovered by volunteers in a pile of donations.
Initially valued at between £600 and £800, the Bible's final price stunned staff who watched the bidding climb to an unexpected sum.
The sale took place at Bonhams auction house after two weeks of competitive bidding.
The rare text dates from between 1815 and 1822 and is historically significant as the first complete Bible written in Chinese.
It was translated by John Lassar and Joshua Marshman, making it an exceedingly rare item.
Dr Lorenza Gay from Bonhams noted they "could not trace at auction previously" any comparable examples.
The Bible was spotted by eagle-eyed volunteers Chris Tyrrell and Eleanor Atac, who suspected it might be valuable when they found it among donated books.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Nick Reeves, Oxfam Chelmsford's bookshop manager, described the moment of discovery: "The Bible was originally found in a pile of donations by some of our brilliant volunteers, Chris Tyrrell and Eleanor Atac, who suspected it could be worth something."
"When it was put up for auction, it was originally valued at a few hundred pounds, so we never imagined it might go for this much," he added.
"We were sat watching the bidding and just seeing it go up and up. When it finally ended, I was in complete shock. We were absolutely speechless."
"It's amazing to think that a donation from our shop could help raise that much money Oxfam. It's just wonderful."
The Bible was among 24 books which went under the hammer at Bonhams' between March 10 and 20, raising more than £105,000 for the charity.
Other valuable finds from Oxfam shops across the country were also auctioned.
A first edition of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" sold for £16,640.
Meanwhile, a first edition of Karl Marx's "Manifesto of the Communist Party" fetched £10,880.
The collection of books represented an extraordinary windfall for Oxfam's charitable work.
Ian Falkingham, Oxfam's Donated Goods Strategy Lead, said: "We are absolutely blown away by the sales at Bonhams' auction today."
"The money raised from these books will go towards helping tackle poverty and inequality across the globe, at a time when it is needed most."
Dr Lorenza Gay from Bonhams added: "We hoped it would exceed the estimate, but it definitely surprised us with the final price achieved."
"This remarkable outcome is great news for the important work Oxfam does around the world."
Find Out More...
The valuable text was discovered by volunteers in a pile of donations.
Initially valued at between £600 and £800, the Bible's final price stunned staff who watched the bidding climb to an unexpected sum.
The sale took place at Bonhams auction house after two weeks of competitive bidding.
The rare text dates from between 1815 and 1822 and is historically significant as the first complete Bible written in Chinese.
It was translated by John Lassar and Joshua Marshman, making it an exceedingly rare item.
Dr Lorenza Gay from Bonhams noted they "could not trace at auction previously" any comparable examples.
The Bible was spotted by eagle-eyed volunteers Chris Tyrrell and Eleanor Atac, who suspected it might be valuable when they found it among donated books.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
- 'Disgrace!' Labour MP used taxpayers' cash to cover 'pet rent for furry friend' at London home
- Police arrest six women who vowed to 'shut down London' over Gaza meeting at Christian house
- Locals furious as 300-year-old luxury hotel used to house migrants could soon 'outnumber' them
Nick Reeves, Oxfam Chelmsford's bookshop manager, described the moment of discovery: "The Bible was originally found in a pile of donations by some of our brilliant volunteers, Chris Tyrrell and Eleanor Atac, who suspected it could be worth something."
"When it was put up for auction, it was originally valued at a few hundred pounds, so we never imagined it might go for this much," he added.
"We were sat watching the bidding and just seeing it go up and up. When it finally ended, I was in complete shock. We were absolutely speechless."
"It's amazing to think that a donation from our shop could help raise that much money Oxfam. It's just wonderful."
The Bible was among 24 books which went under the hammer at Bonhams' between March 10 and 20, raising more than £105,000 for the charity.
Other valuable finds from Oxfam shops across the country were also auctioned.
A first edition of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" sold for £16,640.
Meanwhile, a first edition of Karl Marx's "Manifesto of the Communist Party" fetched £10,880.
The collection of books represented an extraordinary windfall for Oxfam's charitable work.
Ian Falkingham, Oxfam's Donated Goods Strategy Lead, said: "We are absolutely blown away by the sales at Bonhams' auction today."
"The money raised from these books will go towards helping tackle poverty and inequality across the globe, at a time when it is needed most."
Dr Lorenza Gay from Bonhams added: "We hoped it would exceed the estimate, but it definitely surprised us with the final price achieved."
"This remarkable outcome is great news for the important work Oxfam does around the world."
Find Out More...