This Antique Book Found in a Donation Bin Predates Michigan State University

Michigan State University has a surplus store that not only helps reduce waste but also gives people a chance to buy things at a lower cost than buying new.

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When there are things that can't be reused or resold they recycle it to help keep MSU green.

Recently we've learned about a very interesting item was donated at the surplus store that dates back to before Michigan State University was founded in 1885.

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A 17th-century book titled "Theologia Moralis" (A Treatise on Moral Theology) by Austrian Jesuit Paul Laymann was found last year in a donation bin at the MSU Surplus Store.

The book which was bound in pigskin was confirmed by MSU's Special Collections to be a rare edition, and it has since been transferred to the MSU Libraries for preservation and research.

Chris Hewitt, the store’s operations coordinator, told News 8 that his staff regularly sorts through lots of donations and has received some iconic first editions and plenty of signed copies, including a bowhunting guide from Michigan’s own Ted Nugent but this one definitely stands out.

Who Donated The Book

The surplus store isn’t sure who donated it.

Since it bears no library marks, staff believe it was privately owned.

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This is the oldest item the Surplus Store has ever received, though it’s not the first rare discovery

A few years ago they found a first edition Charles Darwin book.

You can learn more about the MSU Surplus Store on Facebook or their Website.