LONDON (AP) -- A copy of J.K. Rowling's first Harry Potter novel sold at auction Thursday for almost $41,000.

The copy of the hardback first edition of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," published in 1997 and signed "Joanne Rowling" on the back of the title page, was sold to an anonymous private bidder for $40,326 at Christie's auction house.

At a London auction in May, a copy of "Philosopher's Stone" inscribed with a personal dedication to the owner sold for more than $55,000, including buyer's premium.

The book was published by Bloomsbury PLC with an initial print run of about 500 copies. Many were purchased by libraries, making copies in good condition extremely rare.

It was published in the United States in 1998 as "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," and the boy wizard soon became a publishing phenomenon.

The seventh and final installment in Harry's adventures, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," was published in July. The seven books have sold nearly 400 million copies and have been translated into 64 languages.

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