Original, facsimile or reproduction?
A complete copy of The Birds of America sold for $11.5 million. The same plates are offered today for $15,000, for $950 and for $40. A guide to what each one is, how it is made, and how to tell them apart.
Four kinds of Audubon print
From the original plates of the 1830s to a print made yesterday. Each has its place; what matters is knowing which one you are buying.
Prices are a guide, in 2026, for a large plate such as the Great Blue Heron.
The original
The Havell edition, 1827 to 1838
Engraved on copper, printed and coloured by hand in London by Robert Havell, under Audubon’s eye. 435 plates; about 200 sets were made, and some 130 survive, many in libraries and museums.
- Size
- the Double Elephant Folio sheet, about 26½ × 39¼ in
- Edition
- about 200 sets
- Price
- single plates from thousands of dollars; a complete set sold for $11.5 million in 2010
A museum edition
Facsimiles made with a museum
Prints made in small editions with the museum that owns the original, often signed or stamped by the museum. Made with great care, and priced accordingly.
- Size
- usually the size of the original
- Edition
- small, numbered
- Price
- about $1,500 to $15,000 per plate
A Heritage Prints facsimile
Made from the original, at its full size
Photographed from the plates of the Teylers Museum’s copy of the Havell edition, at 308 megapixels. Retouched by hand, proofed against the original under daylight until the colours match, and printed on acid-free etching paper of 270 g/m² with archival inks.
- Size
- the whole sheet, about 26½ × 39¼ in, with margins and lettering
- Edition
- 250 of each plate, numbered and blind embossed, with a certificate
- Price
- $350 to $950 per plate
An open-edition reproduction
Printed on demand
Printed in any number, at any size, from whatever image of the plate the seller has. Fine as decoration; seldom compared with an original, and without a number or a certificate.
- Size
- any size
- Edition
- unlimited
- Price
- about $15 to $60
How to check what you are buying
Five things you can see for yourself, before and after you buy.
The size of the sheet
An original Double Elephant Folio sheet is about 26½ × 39¼ inches (67 × 100 cm). A smaller or larger print is a different object, whatever it is called.
The lettering
At the foot of each plate are its number, the names of the bird and “Engraved, Printed & Coloured by R. Havell”. A faithful facsimile keeps the whole sheet, margins and lettering included.
The edition
A limited edition carries a number in pencil, such as 20/250, and comes with a certificate. Ours are also embossed with our blind stamp.
The source
Ask where the image comes from and whether the print was proofed against an original. A good maker tells you, and shows you.
Up close
Look at the fine lines of the engraving and the colouring. On the page of every print you can zoom in on the scan, and see it in a room.
The plates of the Havell edition, at their full size
Facsimiles of the plates of The Birds of America, made from the Teylers Museum’s copy, in an edition of 250.