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A rare and historic collection of plays by English playwright William Shakespeare was sold at auction in London on Thursday for 2.8 million pounds (4.1 million euros, 5.2 million dollars).
The 17th century First Folio -- the first published collection of Shakespeare's plays -- was bought by a "London book dealer", auctioneers Sotheby's said.
About 750 copies of the First Folio, which has been described as the most important book in English literature, were originally printed in 1623, seven years after the bard's death.
They each contain 36 plays, 18 of which had never previously been printed.
Experts believe those 18 plays -- including "Macbeth", "Twelfth Night" and "Julius Caesar" -- might have sunk without a trace had they not been included.
Only about a third of the First Folio copies have survived and most of these versions are incomplete.
The copy on sale Thursday was described as one of the two finest to appear at auction in London since World War II.
It was sold alongside other items of English literature and history.
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AFPEntertainment-Britain-literature-theatre-Shakespeare
AFP 131418 GMT 07 06
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