Hi Álvaro,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

The Alba Bible (also called the Arragel Bible) is one of the most remarkable illuminated manuscripts of the late Middle Ages. Produced in Spain between 1422 and 1430, it is a translation of the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament) from Hebrew into medieval Castilian (Old Spanish), accompanied by extensive Jewish commentary and lavish Christian-style illumination.

It was exceptional because it represents a rare collaboration between Jewish and Christian scholars during a period of increasing hostility toward Spain's Jewish population.

The 1992 facsimile was much more than a publishing project—it was conceived as a cultural and historical act of reconciliation. The collaboration between the Fundación Amigos de Sefarad and Facsimile Editions of London reflected the symbolic importance of 1992 in Spanish and Jewish history.

It commemorated the 500th anniversary of the Expulsion of the Jews from Spain (1492). In 1492, the Alhambra Decree ordered Spain's Jews to convert or leave the kingdom. Five centuries later, 1992 became a year of reflection and reconciliation.

During the 1992 commemorations, Juan Carlos I publicly repudiated the spirit of the expulsion and welcomed Jews and their descendants back to Spain as full participants in the nation's cultural heritage. Although the decree itself had long ceased to have legal effect, the ceremony carried enormous symbolic weight. The Alba Bible—created through cooperation between Jews and Christians in the fifteenth century—was chosen as the perfect emblem of that message.

Unlike many medieval manuscripts, the Alba Bible was the product of a Jewish rabbi, Christian patrons, Franciscan scholars, and Christian illuminators working together. Mauricio Hatchwell Toledano, founder of the Fundación Amigos de Sefarad and a leader of the International Jewish Committee Sepharad '92, described it as a "living testament" to tolerance and hoped the facsimile would revive the manuscript's original spirit of dialogue.

Finally, and most important practically speaking, the original remains in the collection of the House of Alba and is too valuable and fragile for regular scholarly use. Producing a meticulous facsimile allowed major libraries, universities, museums, and collectors to study the manuscript without risking damage to the original.

The project itself was extraordinarily ambitious. The Duke of Alba granted permission for the manuscript to be temporarily disbound so every parchment leaf could be photographed flat. Master bookbinders, photographers, and printers spent months reproducing the manuscript's colors, texture, and even imperfections. Mauricio Hatchwell Toledano famously instructed the publishers, "I want the most beautiful facsimile ever produced, no more, no less."

Only 450 copies were produced, making the edition a collectible work in its own right. The first presentation copies were given to King Juan Carlos I of Spain and Chaim Herzog at a ceremony in Madrid on 31 March 1992, underscoring the diplomatic and cultural significance of the publication.

The initial subscription/publication price was US$26,000. This figure appears in Facsimile Editions' own promotional brochure for the Alba Bible, which lists the edition (450 copies) and its price. Later, the selling price was raised to $44,000 per copy. Multiple historical sources, including the historical summary of the publication, state that the 500 copies "were sold for US$44,000."

Interestingly, the secondary market has varied considerably. While some copies have sold for far less during periods of weak demand, exceptional copies have achieved strong prices. For example, one sold at auction in Denmark in 2005 for a €55,000 hammer price, while another sold in Germany in 2022 for €13,000, illustrating that realized prices depend heavily on provenance, condition, edition type (Founder's vs. standard), and the pool of collectors at the time.

If this were to come to auction today, this would probably sell within €15,000 and €25,000 but if you're trying to sell this privately, I would suggest asking €40,000 or €45,000 so as not to risk underselling it.

Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia