J.K. Rowling illustrated manuscript sells for $467,000 at auction

LONDON - A rare book hand-written and -illustrated by "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling sold for $467,000 at auction in London on Tuesday, at the lower end of its estimated price range.

"The Tales of Beedle the Bard" is one of six copies that Rowling made as presents to those who helped bring her magical world of wizards and witches to life.

The copy sold on Tuesday, bound in brown Morocco leather and adorned with silver, was presented to editor Barry Cunningham, who published Rowling's spellbinding debut, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", and carries a personal dedication from her.

The volume of five wizarding fairy tales - left to Hermione Granger by Albus Dumbledore in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" - had a price estimate of 300,000-500,000 pounds ($380,000-634,000). Sotheby's auction house said in a statement that it had been sold for 368,750 pounds ($467,400) to an anonymous telephone bidder.

A seventh copy, made for an auction in 2007 to raise money for the author's charity, Lumos, raised 1.95 million pounds. ($1 = 0.7886 pounds) — Reuters