A JK Rowling-signed illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is to auction at Sotheby's London on December 17.

It also features an original drawing of a dragon by illustrator Jim Kay.

The book is signed by Rowling and illustrator Jim Kay

The new edition was published by Bloomsbury on November 5 this year.

The present lot is an advance, hand bound copy and carries an estimate of £2,000-3,000 ($3,043-4,564).

It will be sold to benefit Rowling's charity, Lumos - which works to protect vulnerable children.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is one of the greatest publishing success stories of all time and is the book of most interest to collectors of the series.  

In 2013, a fully annotated copy of Philosopher's Stone, featuring Rowling's personal reflections on the themes and methods behind the book, sold for a record £150,000 ($228,242).

It remains the highest price paid for a printed copy of a book by Rowling.

A handwritten and illustrated copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard holds the record for any book by the author.

The work is a collection of children's stories set in the Potter universe and sold for £1.9m ($2.8m) to online retail giant Amazon at Sotheby's in 2007.

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