The Gutenberg Bible

In a titanium vault in Tokyo, one of the few surviving copies of the world's first printed book is kept: the Gutenberg Bible, simply designated as number 45. In 1987, Maruzen Company of Japan acquired the book for $5.4 million ($US12.9 million now). It is now housed at Keio University, where accessibility to the book is very limited, however a digital copy is available online for viewing.

Prior to its journey to Japan, the work was part of a collection assembled by Estelle Betzold Doheny from America , the only woman on the planet to acquire one of these enigmatic tomes.

Estelle Betzold Doheny, the widow of one of America's richest men, is one of just a few women who gather old books, and she has collected one of the West's most magnificent libraries. The purchase of the Gutenberg Bible, widely regarded as the most significant printed book of all time, would elevate her to the ranks of history’s finest book collectors. Its arrival marks the end of a 40-year search, and she cherishes the experience as much as she did with the item itself.

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Price at launch: $5.4 million

Author: Johann Gutenberg