Charles Babbage
8 copies for sale · $500–$85,000 · 1 first edition · 3 signed
Notable copies for sale
OBSERVATIONS ON THE NOTATION EMPLOYED IN THE CALCULUS OF FUNCTIONS (signed) — Type Punch Matrix$18,000
On the Economy of Machinery and Manufactures (signed) — Burnside Rare Books$7,500
‘Observations on the notation employed in the calculus of functions,’ pp. 63-76 in: Transa (first edition) — Sophia Rare Books$500
On the Influence of Signs in Mathematical Reasoning — Jonathan A. Hill Bookseller$85,000
A Chapter on Street Nuisances. Extracted from “Passages from the life of a philosopher.” — Manhattan Rare Books$3,900
An essay towards the calculus of functions — Manhattan Rare Books$3,000
Table of the logarithms of the natural numbers from 1 to 108000 ... Stereotyped. - Fourth — Rulon-Miller Books$750
The Ninth Bridgewater Treatise. A Fragment (signed) — Burnside Rare Books$15,000
Works on the market
On the Influence of Signs in Mathematical Reasoning1 copy · $85,000
The Ninth Bridgewater Treatise. A Fragment1 copy · $15,000
On the Economy of Machinery and Manufactures1 copy · $7,500
A Chapter on Street Nuisances. Extracted from “Passages from the life of a philosopher.”1 copy · $3,900
An essay towards the calculus of functions1 copy · $3,000
Market context
2 copies of Charles Babbage's works have left the market recently; the median last-listed price was $1,475 (last listed prices at time of sale or removal, not confirmed sale prices).
Recent auction results (hammer prices, premiums not included):
Table of the Logarithms of the Natural Numbers, from 1 to 108000, 2nd ed., 1831 (dominic winter, 2026-01-01)£220
Listings aggregated from rare-book dealers, auction houses and marketplaces worldwide; refreshed continually. Prices are seller asking prices unless marked as auction results.