After a public backlash, a very rare copy of J.R.R Tolkien’s legendary Lord of the Rings trilogy has been returned to its rightful owner.
After the December collection had been taken from a locked cupboard, St Richard’s Hospice Worcester reported it to police.
This set includes three volumes. The Fellowship of the Ring, Two TowersPlease see the following: The Return of the King had been on sale for £1,495.
The charity admitted that it had been’saddened” by the acts of the thieves who had stopped the hospice from raising large amounts of money for its charitable activities.
However, St Richard’s managers revealed that three of the books had been returned ten days after they were received. This was in an ebullient message which was shared on social media.
Dan Corns is the commercial director of the hospice. He believes that the victim’s guilt ensured safe return to the valuable books.
He explained to The Times: ‘Obviously someone has thought about it and through their conscience has decided perhaps they didn’t do the right thing.’
After a public backlash, a very rare copy of J.R.R Tolkien’s legendary Lord of the Rings trilogy has been returned secretly to its rightful owners.
Tolkien’s epic trilogy focuses on the Fellowship’s pursuit to defeat the ring that is power. From left to right, Viggo Mortensen is Aragorn and Orlando Bloom as LegolasGreenleaf. SIr Ian Mckellen as Gandalf, in The Two Towers.
Although the hardbacks were first printed in 1957 they did not contain Tolkien’s original-edition text. If they were, the collection would have been valued at more than £25,000.
This collection was taken on December 19th, leaving charity bosses furious just before the holiday period.
But the books were safe returned ten more days later. A surprised manager found them inconspicuously placed on a shelf as part of a routine clean-up.
Corns stated that while the theft of the books was a sad event, it has encouraged us to share our stories and to ask for their return.
‘Now – in the most wonderful of plot twists – the books were returned to a shelf in the store on Wednesday 29 December.
‘On sale for £1,495, the trilogy will raise a substantial amount towards our hospice care here in Worcestershire.
St Richard’s Hospice, Worcester (pictured above), reported the matter to police following the December theft of a lock cabinet.
Although the hardbacks were first printed in 1957 they did not contain Tolkien’s original-edition text. If they were, the collection would have been valued at more than £25,000. Pictured: J.R.R Tolkien in 1961
“We believe this was only possible because of the strength of community. Thank you to all of our supporters who raised awareness and brought the books back to our attention.
In October, a sought-after copy of Tolkien’s The Hobbit that features spelling mistakes on the cover sold for a whopping £59,000 at auction.
Rare 1937 First Impressions were among the first to be printed. They include original maps and illustrations from the author.
It was only around 1500 copies that were first printed in the year. Therefore, those items which go up for auction are highly sought-after.
St Richard’s Hospice supports more than 2,900 patients, family members and bereaved people.
With a staff exceeding 250, it reports annual costs of more than £8 million.