Rare 325-year-old Leeuwenhoek microscope fetches €161,000 at Christie's London auction

A silver microscope believed to have been made by the Dutch scientist Antoni van Leeuwenhoek around 1700 was auctioned at Christie's in London for 138,600 pounds on Wednesday, which is nearly 161,000 euros.

This sale price was below the initial estimate set by the auction house, which ranged from 180,000 to 290,000 euros. The identities of both the seller and the buyer of the microscope have not been revealed.

It is described as “one of the rarest microscopes by the father of microbiology, with the highest magnification extent.”' The silver microscope's lens is held between two riveted silver plates and can achieve a magnification of approximately 285x. According to Christie’s, the microscope was “probably” made by Antoni van Leeuwenhoek around 1700.

Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, born in Delft in 1632 and commonly known as “the father of microbiology,” made significant contributions to the early study of microorganisms despite his lack of formal scientific training. He was the first to observe muscle fibers, bacteria, and blood cells using his handcrafted microscopes.

Antoni van Leeuwenhoek's microscopes are considered rare and valuable historical artifacts. He is thought to have made 322 microscopes and 237 lenses. Christie's stated that only about twelve are thought to remain, making the one set for auction in December potentially the thirteenth from the Dutch scientists that have survived to this day.

The other surviving microscopes can be found in various museums and private collections around the world. Rijksmuseum Boerhaave in Leiden holds the largest collection of Leeuwenhoek microscopes. Utrecht University Museum has a collection of historical microscopes, including one attributed to Leeuwenhoek.