That private library, the Honresfield Library, was assembled in the 19th century and had gone virtually unseen since the 1930s.
But after the nephew’s death in 1939, the originals fell out of public view.
The consortium’s announcement also highlighted “two hugely significant letters” by Jane Austen to her sister Cassandra, including one written on the eve of a ball, where she anticipated the end of a love affair.
In 2013, Jane Austen’s House Museum acquired a turquoise ring once worn by the author, after raising $236,000 to match the price paid at auction by the American singer Kelly Clarkson.