This Day in History: Da Vinci <br />Notebook Sells for Over $5 Million.<br />December 12, 1980.<br />The American oil tycoon <br />Armand Hammer paid <br />$5,126,000 for the notebook.<br />At the time, the amount <br />was the highest ever paid <br />for a manuscript at auction.<br />The 72 page manuscript included a number <br />of drawings and close to 300 notes written <br />by Renaissance artist, Leonardo Da Vinci.<br />Known as the Leicester Codex, <br />the notebook was likely written in <br />1508. It is one of close to 30 known <br />notebooks that Da Vinci kept during his life.<br />Da Vinci experts believe <br />the artist incorporated material <br />from the Leicester Codex while <br />painting the background of the Mona Lisa.<br />At Christie's auction house, <br />bidding for the manuscript <br />lasted less than 2 minutes. Hammer <br />stated that "I expected to pay more."
