350-year-old Shakespeare folios could fetch £4.5 million at auction
Shakespeare’s four folios are being auctioned in London
Four original William Shakespeare folios, dating from 1623 to 1685, are set to be auctioned at Sotheby's London on May 23.
The collection, expected to fetch between £3.5 and £4.5 million, is believed to have been owned by two of Shakespeare's close friends.
The first folio is considered a cornerstone of English literature, preserving plays like Macbeth and Twelfth Night that might otherwise have been lost.
The third folio is the rarest due to losses in the Great Fire of London.
The folios were compiled by John Heminges and Henry Condell, fellow actors and shareholders in Shakespeare's acting company, the King's Men.