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| Saved Alan Turing papers sold at auction in Etwall for £465,400 | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| The collection included Alan Turing's PhD dissertation from the 1930s | The collection included Alan Turing's PhD dissertation from the 1930s |
| Papers written by World War Two codebreaker Alan Turing have sold for a "record-breaking" price of £465,400 after they were found in a loft and almost shredded. | Papers written by World War Two codebreaker Alan Turing have sold for a "record-breaking" price of £465,400 after they were found in a loft and almost shredded. |
| The 1930s collection, which included a copy of Turing's PhD dissertation, went under the hammer in Etwall in Derbyshire on Tuesday. | The 1930s collection, which included a copy of Turing's PhD dissertation, went under the hammer in Etwall in Derbyshire on Tuesday. |
| Turing, considered by many as the father of modern computing, played a key role in WW2 in helping to break the German Enigma codes at Bletchley Park. | Turing, considered by many as the father of modern computing, played a key role in WW2 in helping to break the German Enigma codes at Bletchley Park. |
| According to Hansons Auctioneers, one of the papers - On Computable Numbers - sold for "a remarkable" £208,000. | According to Hansons Auctioneers, one of the papers - On Computable Numbers - sold for "a remarkable" £208,000. |
| Auctioneer Charles Hanson said he was "astonished" when the documents surfaced during a valuation event in Nottinghamshire. | Auctioneer Charles Hanson said he was "astonished" when the documents surfaced during a valuation event in Nottinghamshire. |
| "To think these precious papers could've been lost to the shredder and now they will go on to educate and inspire generations," he said. | "To think these precious papers could've been lost to the shredder and now they will go on to educate and inspire generations," he said. |
| "Turing was a man ahead of his time, and through these pages, he lives on." | "Turing was a man ahead of his time, and through these pages, he lives on." |
| The collection was found in the loft of Turing's friend Norman Routledge | The collection was found in the loft of Turing's friend Norman Routledge |
| The papers were originally gifted to Turing's friend and fellow mathematician Norman Routledge. | The papers were originally gifted to Turing's friend and fellow mathematician Norman Routledge. |
| After Mr Routledge died in 2013, the documents were found at his home in Bermondsey, London, and taken away by one of his sisters. | After Mr Routledge died in 2013, the documents were found at his home in Bermondsey, London, and taken away by one of his sisters. |
| One of Mr Routledge's nieces, who has not been named, said they were untouched for years until the sister moved into a care home. | One of Mr Routledge's nieces, who has not been named, said they were untouched for years until the sister moved into a care home. |
| Her daughters found the collection and "considered shredding everything" before they checked with the nieces and nephews. | Her daughters found the collection and "considered shredding everything" before they checked with the nieces and nephews. |
| Jim Spencer, from Rare Books Auctions, said the papers were "the most important" he had handled | Jim Spencer, from Rare Books Auctions, said the papers were "the most important" he had handled |
| According to Hansons, Turing's PhD dissertation and On Computable Numbers are both hailed as foundational works in the field of theoretical computer science. | According to Hansons, Turing's PhD dissertation and On Computable Numbers are both hailed as foundational works in the field of theoretical computer science. |
| Lichfield-based Rare Book Auctions, sister company to Hansons, had valued both of the papers at between £40,000 and £60,000. | Lichfield-based Rare Book Auctions, sister company to Hansons, had valued both of the papers at between £40,000 and £60,000. |
| But the dissertation from 1938 or 1939, called Systems of Logic Based on Ordinals, sold for £110,500. | But the dissertation from 1938 or 1939, called Systems of Logic Based on Ordinals, sold for £110,500. |
| Other top selling lots included Computability and λ-Definability and The World Problem in Semi-Groups with Cancellation, which sold for £26,000 and £28,600 respectively. | Other top selling lots included Computability and λ-Definability and The World Problem in Semi-Groups with Cancellation, which sold for £26,000 and £28,600 respectively. |
| Turing's final major work from 1952, called The Chemical Basis of Morphogenesis, went for £19,500, while his first published paper from 1935, Equivalence of Left and Right Almost Periodicity, sold for £7,800. | Turing's final major work from 1952, called The Chemical Basis of Morphogenesis, went for £19,500, while his first published paper from 1935, Equivalence of Left and Right Almost Periodicity, sold for £7,800. |
| The collection included a number of personal letters to Mr Routledge | The collection included a number of personal letters to Mr Routledge |
| In addition to the academic works, the sale featured personal items, including a handwritten letter from Ethel Turing explaining the gift of her son's papers to Mr Routledge. | In addition to the academic works, the sale featured personal items, including a handwritten letter from Ethel Turing explaining the gift of her son's papers to Mr Routledge. |
| Jim Spencer, director of Rare Book Auctions, said: "This was the most important archive I've ever handled. | Jim Spencer, director of Rare Book Auctions, said: "This was the most important archive I've ever handled. |
| "The papers came within inches of being destroyed, and instead they've captured the world's imagination. | "The papers came within inches of being destroyed, and instead they've captured the world's imagination. |
| "It's a once-in-a-lifetime discovery – not just for collectors, but for the sake of preserving the story of one of the greatest minds in history." | "It's a once-in-a-lifetime discovery – not just for collectors, but for the sake of preserving the story of one of the greatest minds in history." |
| Mr Hanson added the buyer was "absolutely over the moon" with the purchases. | |
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