How many copies of Moby-Dick sold during Herman Melville’s lifetime?

During Herman Melville’s lifetime, his novel Moby-Dick was not a commercial success and failed to gain significant public acclaim. In total, the book sold fewer than 4,000 copies, a figure that includes fewer than 600 copies sold in the United Kingdom. It was not until the mid-20th century that the work was recognized as one of the most important novels in American literature.12