Christopher Columbus’s Letter Sold At Auction For $3.9 Million

Christopher Columbus’s printed letter “De Insulis Nuper Inventis” (On the Newly Discovered Islands) sold at Christie’s for $3.9 million, significantly exceeding its original estimate of about $1 million to $1.5 million.

The eight-page document was addressed to the Spanish King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella, who financed his journey, and contains the story of his discoveries during the first exploration of America, or rather of “the Indies,” as he also called the “new” continent. Among the writings are topographical descriptions and descriptions of the populations encountered, including a description of the island of Hispaniola, where the present states of Haiti and Santo Domingo are located. Columbus also describes the climate, flora, fauna, and “timid natives,” and explains that he brought some of them with him to Europe.

Christie’s book and manuscript experts have vouched for the authenticity of the letter, the original of which was written in Spanish (a copy is housed in the New York Public Library) and was then sent to Rome to be translated into Latin and from there distributed throughout the Old Continent, so as many people as possible could learn about the undertaking. In the introduction, Columbus defines himself as a man “to whom our time owes a great debt.”