Writings of English physicist called the greatest work in the history of science.

Sir Isaac Newton’s Rare ‘Principia’ Book Sells for $191,200

Hector Cantu is editorial director at Heritage Magazine (www.HeritageMagazine.com), where this story originally appeared. For a free subscription, visit www.HeritageMagazine.com.

Sir Isaac Newton is often called one of the most influential people in human history. His writings formed the foundation of classical mechanics and helped explain gravity and planetary motion. His “Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica,” Latin for “Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy,” was published in 1687 and has come to be known as the greatest work in the history of science.

When the first edition was printed in 1687, it’s believed 250 to 300 copies were produced before the printer swapped out a title page to incorporate the name of bookseller Samuel Smith. Experts believe roughly 50 copies of this second issue were printed.

Although scholars believe the two issues were printed simultaneously, first-issue copies remain more popular with collectors, with some fetching more than $300,000. The highest price realized for a second issue was $125,000. But at a February 2010 rare book auction by Dallas-based Heritage Auction Galleries, a second issue from a private collection realized nearly $200,000. It’s believed to be a world record price for a second issue.

“This sale certainly makes the second issue of ‘Principia’ nearly as desirable as the first issue,” says Heritage Auctions rare book director James Gannon. “Demand remains strong for landmark works in the history of printing, ‘foundation books’ such as Charles Darwin’s ‘On the Origin of Species’ or Andreas Vesalius’ ‘De Humani Corporis Fabrica.’”

Newton’s famous encounter with an apple is among science’s most celebrated anecdotes. It was upon seeing an apple fall in his orchard that Newton conceived that the same force governed the motion of the moon and the apple. He calculated the force needed to hold the moon in its orbit, as compared with the force pulling an object to the ground. His subsequent work contributed groundbreaking theories and discoveries to many early fields of study — including an early design for telescopes that is still utilized today.

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