The book, discovered by the manager of a Cancer Research UK superstore, was amongst thousands of items typically sold for £5 or less. This rare gem, being among the first 1,500 editions published in 1937, features black and white illustrations by Tolkien himself and was promptly recognised by the superstore manager, Adam Carsley, The Guardian reports.

Mr Carsley had initially predicted a £500 maximum selling price for the book, and was astounded when the final selling price surpassed £10,000, marking it as one of the most valuable items donated to the charity’s stores.

A previous auction in 2015 saw a Tolkien-inscribed first edition of The Hobbit sell for a whopping £137,000, more than doubling the previous record of £50,000.