A 9th-century Carolingian codex, initially estimated at €200 to €300 at a French auction in Plérin, ultimately sold for €85,000 before reaching a bookseller in Vienna, where it has been associated with a price of €1.2 million.
The journey of this medieval text from a household in Saint-Brieuc to the global antiquities market has prompted scrutiny across the heritage sector, particularly over how the artifact left the country.
From a Breton Auction House to the Global Market
The story began on November 21, 2025, when Armor Enchères dispersed a series of lots in Plérin. Among them was lot number 77, cataloged as a medieval Latin manuscript and estimated between €200 and €300 by an expert in ancient books, as actualitte.com reported. When the hammer dropped, the book reached €85,000, totaling €103,360 with fees included.
The buyer never moved to the Côtes-d’Armor region. According to Actualitté, the buyer secured the item on the strength of a brief catalog notice and photographs. Subsequent academic study revealed the nature of the purchase.
University experts in Germany and Switzerland examined the text in the summer of 2026. Tino Licht of the University of Heidelberg and Philipp Lenz of the Abbey Library of Saint-Gall dated the volume between 825 and 850. They connected it to the Codex Sangallensis 115, a Carolingian manuscript housed in Switzerland that preserves part of Saint Jerome’s work.
Inside the Carolingian Fragment
The volume contains 101 out of 139 leaves, featuring books IX to XVI of Saint Jerome’s commentary on Isaiah. The pages measure 327 by 251 millimeters, written in Caroline minuscule across two columns of thirty lines. Experts have pointed to scriptoria in Lorsch, Reichenau, or Wissembourg as its possible origin.
The binding dates to the 15th century in half-calf over wooden boards, with the upper right corner of the lower board missing. The pastedowns are constructed from earlier biblical fragments in early 9th-century Caroline script. A 15th-century binder repurposed these parchments, including a Genesis fragment copied around 800 and an Isaiah passage from a 9th-century Bible.
The volume belonged to Robert Scharbarg (1924-2020), who taught Latin and French at the Saint-Charles school in Saint-Brieuc from 1965 to 1990, and later to his son Christian.
| Milestone | Location | Valuation / Price | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Auction Estimate | Plérin, France | €200 – €300 | November 21, 2025 |
| Auction Hammer Price | Plérin, France | €85,000 (€103,360 with fees) | November 21, 2025 |
| Academic Identification | Heidelberg & Saint-Gall | Identified as 9th-Century Carolingian Codex | July 2026 |
| International Offering | Vienna, Austria | €1.2 Million (Announced for Boston Fair) | November 2026 |
Administrative Questions and Export Controls
The manuscript is in Vienna with the bookseller Inlibris under reference BN#68414. While the public listing carries an inquiry-only status, a publication linked to the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair pointed to figures of 1.4 million dollars, or approximately €1.2 million.
Armor Enchères noted the specialization required to identify the text. “It was too technical,” the auction house explained, estimating that perhaps ten people worldwide possessed the expertise to understand the work. The auction house added: “It is such a complicated object with very few possible buyers, one must remain cautious. Perhaps it will never find a buyer.”
The rapid escalation in price has triggered questions regarding French heritage law. Under national regulations, any ancient manuscript valued above €3,000 requires an export certificate from the Ministry of Culture to leave the country. When bidding jumps from €300 to €85,000, administrative protocols suggest the Ministry and the Consultative Commission of National Treasures should intervene to block export and pursue classification.
“It could have been classified as a national treasure, maybe even should have been. But that didn’t happen. There may have been a major blunder,” a source close to the file noted.
The 48th edition of the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair is scheduled for November 6 to November 8, 2026.
