First Edition of On the Origin of Species Features at Ripley
Darwin's breakthrough manuscript on offer at September sale
Courtesy of Ripley Auctions & Appraisals
The front pastedown of Ripley Auctions’ 1859 first edition of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, showing an armorial ex libris bookplate bearing the name Stephen A. McCallan, along with handwritten ownership inscriptions. Spine and front cover of the 1859 first edition of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, published in London by John Murray.
An 1859 first edition of Charles Darwin’s landmark work On the Origin of Species leads the Great Estates BOOKS Live! auction at Ripley Auctions & Appraisals in Indianapolis on September 23, 2026. One of only 1,250 copies printed in the first edition, the book is estimated to fetch between $100,000 and $150,000 at the sale.
A revolutionary work in the history of science, Darwin presented his theory of biological evolution through natural selection in On the Origin of Species. Darwin also outlined how the diversity of life arose through common descent via a branching pattern of evolution. While evolutionary theories had been proposed previously, Darwin’s work codified evolutionary theory and made a detailed and thorough presentation of supporting evidence aimed at a popular audience.
The theory of evolution was in stark contrast to the prevailing theological thought at the time and Darwin, a respected scientist, attracted significant controversy on its publication. Knowing he would ignite a scientific and cultural debate, Darwin deliberately wrote On the Origin of Species for the non-specialist reader to further disseminate the theory.
And readers gobbled it up.
Published by John Murray in London on November 24, 1859, the book’s first edition of 1,250 copies immediately sold out on its first day. A second, larger print run of 3,000 copies quickly followed on its heels, released on January 7, 1860. The limited print run of the first edition, and early, high consumer demand for the book, make copies of the first edition scarce on the ground today. Ripley’s copy offered at auction was recently discovered by surprise in a private Indiana estate.
Courtesy of Ripley Auctions & Appraisals.
An 1859 first edition of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, in the publisher’s green cloth binding. The volume is estimated at $100,000-$150,000.
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Courtesy Ripley Rare Books
The index and publisher’s advertisements preserved at the end of Ripley Auctions’ first edition of On the Origin of Species.
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Courtesy of Ripley Auctions & Appraisals.
The folding lithographic diagram facing page 117 in the 1859 first edition of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species.
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"The strength of this copy lies in the survival of its defining first-edition features," said Charlie Deane, Director of Collectibles at Ripley Auctions. "It remains in the original publisher's blind-stamped green cloth, with its gilt-lettered spine and Edmonds & Remnants binder's ticket, and retains the folding lithographic diagram and the 32-page John Murray publisher's catalogue dated June 1859. Its spine corresponds to Variant A in the Darwin Census, and the text includes the characteristic first-edition misspelling 'speceies' on page 20."
The Ripley copy would make a fine—even necessary—addition to any serious book collection on the history of science.
"What makes this opportunity especially compelling is that the book is fresh to the market," said Dan Ripley, owner of Ripley Auctions. "It surfaced from a private Indiana estate rather than arriving through the established rare-book trade. Discoveries like this remind us that books of enormous historical consequence can remain quietly preserved in private collections for generations."
Additional highlights at the September 23 sale include a 1935 Limited Editions Club publication of James Joyce’s Ulysses, No. 851 of 1,500 copies. The volume features six soft-ground etchings and reproductions of preparatory sketches by Henri Matisse and is signed by Matisse on the limitation page. The book’s estimate is $3,000-$5,000.
The Great Estates BOOKS Live! auction will begin September 23 at 1:00 p.m. EDT in Indianapolis. Bidders may participate live in Indianapolis, by telephone, by absentee bid or online. A companion sale Timed Estates Collectible Book Auction - Antiquarian, Nonfiction, Novels, Reference Books & More will commence at 3:00 pm.
