It is unnecessary to say that this book seldom comes into the market.
The recorded sales are very few. In 1682 R. Smith sold a perfect copy
for 13s. 2d. In 1773 J. West's copy was bought by George III. for.£32
0s. 6d. Alchorne's imperfect copy was bought by Inglis for £54 12s., and
at the sale of his books found a purchaser in Lord Audley for £31 10s.,
and was again transferred, in 1855, to the possession of Mr. J. Cunliffe
for £60 l0s. 0d.[3] Mr. J. Holford's copy was bought at the Mainwaring
sale for £101.

The last copy offered for sale was described in one of Mr. Bernard
Quaritch's catalogues issued in 1872, and the account given by that
veteran bibliopole is well worth reproduction.

CAXTON'S GAME AND PLAY OF CHESS MORALIZED, (translated 1474) FIRST
EDITION, folio, 65 LEAVES (of the 72), bound in old ruffia gilt, £400.

[Blackletter: Fynyshid the last day of Marche the yer of our Lord God,
a thousand foure hondred and lxxiiii....]

An extremely large, though somewhat imperfect copy of

THE FIRST BOOK PRINTED IN ENGLAND, from Caxton's press.

Mr. Blades quotes 9 copies (4 perfect, 5 imperfect), the present is the
10th known copy, and is TALLER than even the Grenville--hitherto the
tallest known copy; my copy measures 11-1/8 inch in height by 8 in
width, whilst the Grenville copy (also imperfect) is only 11
inches high.