Printed in 1566, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the bible has survived in good condition with exceptional print quality, having been rebound at some point in the early 1700s.

Complete with illustrated red and black ink title page, and introductory and explanatory tidbits known as ‘apocrypha’, the bible is unusually full for the period – and was printed just 31 years after the very first time an English translation of the Bible was put into print.

“It’s beautifully done,” Philip Taubenheim, senior auctioneer at Wotton Auction Rooms, where the bible will be sold, told Printweek.

“Some of the introductory pieces are almost rarer than the bible itself, so it’s a nice thing that it’s all survived as one entity.”

Measuring 410x270mm, and 100mm thick, the bible was printed in Rouen, at that time a major print centre capable of higher quality prints than those in England.

According to its title page inscription, the bible was printed “at the coste and charges of Richard Carmarden,” an English merchant and later member of the Merchant Taylors Company.

Printed just 45 years before the King James translation of The Bible was published, the Carmarden Bible – "according to the translation apoynted by the Queenes Maiesties" offers an insight into a period of instability in the Anglican Church, where factions still fought to have sway over what would become the official bible of the break-away Church.

“We first became aware of it about three months ago,” explained Taubenheim.

“We were sent photographs of a selection of Bibles, most of which were very ordinary Victorian family Bibles from the 1860s-1880s.

“But this one has an 18th Centuary cover – which, again, looks only moderately interesting, but it was when we opened the cover that we realised we had a much earlier Bible.”

In the 1500s, only around a fifth (20%) of men could read, and around 10% of women. The Carmarden Bible would likely have been owned by the Church or a large, important private house, Taubenheim said.

“I don’t think this one’s ever been on the market before,” he added.

“It came in locally, and [was discovered] really only because we took interest in the Victorian lots.

“By taking interest in something that wasn’t of any great value, we unearthed this gold nugget – it’s really fantastic.”

The Bible is almost complete, with two missing pages, and several interpolated pages with handwritten script and later printed restorations of missing pages, and its condition report lists a few “mouse nibbles” to the end of its side papers.

It will be sold online and in person on 10 December at 4.30pm at Wotton Auction Rooms as lot 745.