PreviousNext

Auction Update Review

M-Rare Book Hub: 115 Auctions Archived, another 82 Upcoming this Week

For the week ended 12 December, 115 auctions have been archived to Rare Book Hub’s Transactions+: 1 denominated in Australian dollars, 1 in Canadian dollars, 28 in euros, 25 in British pounds, 1 in Mexican pesos, 1 in New Zealand dollars, 5 in Polish zloty, 3 in Swedish krona, and 50 in US dollars.

 

 

Turnover was $46,933,926.15. The average lot brought $3,046.47. 81.79 percent of this past week’s lots sold as 18,836 lots were offered, and 15,406 found new homes.

 

 

This report includes this past week’s Top 25s for 14 categories, full details for this past week’s sales, as well as a complete listing of the upcoming week’s 82 sales.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Start by clicking on the tabs for the top 25s. They are live! 

 

 

 

 

 

Best wishes for a good week and the holiday season!

 

 

 

 

Bruce McKinney

Rare Book Hub

 

Click Here

Top 25 Lots Reported This Past Week.
  1. Heritage Auctions Star Wars: Episode IV -- A New Hope (TCF, 1977), Historic Half Sheet Key Poster Artwork by Tom Jung. on December 10th Actual price: USD $3,875,000.
  2. Christies Exercitatio anatomica de motu cordis et sanguinis in animalibus. on December 10th Actual price: USD $1,356,668.
  3. Sothebys Historia naturalis. Ed: Johannes Andreas, bishop of Aleria. on December 9th Actual price: USD $1,270,000.
  4. Christies Gospels on December 10th Actual price: USD $1,187,084.
  5. Sothebys Opera [Greek]. Contains also works of Galenus (II); Philo Judaeus (II); Theophrastus (II-IV); Alexander Aphrodisaeus (IV). on December 9th Actual price: USD $660,400.
  6. Sothebys Los Caprichos (Delteil 38-117; Harris 26-115) on December 5th Actual price: USD $473,235.
  7. Sothebys Lapidarius. Quomodo virtutes pretiosorum lapidum augmentantur. Physiognomia. on December 9th Actual price: USD $381,000.
  8. Sothebys The Hundred Guilder Print (B., Holl. 74; New Holl. 239) on December 5th Actual price: USD $371,827.
  9. Sothebys Historia naturalis [Italian] (Tr: Christophorus Landinus). on December 9th Actual price: USD $355,600.
  10. Sothebys Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. London on December 11th Actual price: USD $340,252.
  11. Christies Polychronicon on December 10th Actual price: USD $322,209.
  12. Sothebys On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties; and on the Perpetuation of Varieties and Species by Natural Means of Selection [1858-59] on December 11th Actual price: USD $306,228.
  13. Sothebys Biblia Latina, a bifolium printed on vellum from the Gutenberg or 42-line Bible. on December 11th Actual price: USD $289,214.
  14. Lyon and Turnbull A MAMLUK MANUSCRIPT OF IBN AKHI HIZAM'S 'KITAB AL-BAYTARAH' ('BOOK OF HIPPIATRICS' OR HORSE MEDICINE) on December 10th Actual price: USD $252,372.
  15. Sothebys Autograph sketchleaf including a probable draft for the finale of the Piano Quartet in E flat, K.493, FORMERLY IN THE COLLECTION OF PAUL HIRSCH on December 11th Actual price: USD $238,176.
  16. Rago Arts and Auctions The Little Screens on December 11th Actual price: USD $228,600.
  17. Christies Series of 18 autograph letters signed ('E. Jenner' on December 10th Actual price: USD $220,459.
  18. Heritage Auctions Malaya and British Borneo Board of Commissioners of Currency 1000 Dollars 21.3.1953 Pick 6a B106 KNB6a PMG About Uncirculated 50 EPQ. on December 9th Actual price: USD $204,000.
  19. Christies Ob usum experientiamque multiplicem on December 10th Actual price: USD $186,542.
  20. Christies Book of Hours on December 10th Actual price: USD $186,542.
  21. Sothebys Elementa geometriae (Latin, translated by Adelard of Bath, edited and with commentary by Campanus of Novara). on December 9th Actual price: USD $177,800.
  22. Christies The Birds of New Guinea and the adjacent Papuan Islands on December 10th Actual price: USD $169,583.
  23. Christies The Cromer Book of Hours on December 10th Actual price: USD $169,583.
  24. Tessier & Sarrou and Associates Asterix - Planche ndeg5 on December 6th Actual price: USD $164,306.
  25. Christies On Computable Numbers: first edition on December 11th Actual price: USD $161,620.
  • <b><center>Sotheby’s<br>Year in Review</center></b> <b>Sotheby’s Year in Review:</b> A Rare Hebrew Bible with Micrographic Masorah. Sold: 1,514,000 USD <b>Sotheby’s Year in Review:</b> "The Freedman's Primer.” Sold: 241,300 USD <b>Sotheby’s Year in Review:</b> Smith, William. "The Map that Changed the World." Sold: 139,700 USD <b>Sotheby’s Year in Review:</b> Psalter, C13th. Illuminated Psalter. Sold: 330,200 GBP <b>Sotheby’s Year in Review:</b> Lincoln, Abraham. The abolition of slavery. Sold: 13,697,500 USD <b>Sotheby’s Year in Review:</b> Vergilius. Opera, Venice, Aldo Manuzio, 1501. Sold: 1,041,400 USD
    Sotheby’s
    Year in Review
    Sotheby’s Year in Review: A Rare Hebrew Bible with Micrographic Masorah. Sold: 1,514,000 USD
    Sotheby’s Year in Review: "The Freedman's Primer.” Sold: 241,300 USD
    Sotheby’s Year in Review: Smith, William. "The Map that Changed the World." Sold: 139,700 USD
    Sotheby’s Year in Review: Psalter, C13th. Illuminated Psalter. Sold: 330,200 GBP
    Sotheby’s Year in Review: Lincoln, Abraham. The abolition of slavery. Sold: 13,697,500 USD
    Sotheby’s Year in Review: Vergilius. Opera, Venice, Aldo Manuzio, 1501. Sold: 1,041,400 USD
  • <b><center>Case Antiques<br>2026 Winter Fine Art & Antiques<br>January 31 and February 1, 2026</center><b> <b>Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1:</b> 1775 Map of Virginia, Fry and Jefferson, ex-John Tyler. $6,000 to $8,000. <b>Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1:</b> Albrecht Durer Engraving, The Peasant Couple at Market. $3,400 to $3,800. <b>Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1:</b> 1777 Map: Wm. Faden, British Colonies in N. America, ex. John Tyler. $2,000 to $2,400. <b><center>Case Antiques<br>2026 Winter Fine Art & Antiques<br>January 31 and February 1, 2026</center><b> <b>Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1:</b> 30 Vols. George Eliot 1st Editions; Mill on the Floss, Silas Marner, Deronda, etc. $1,400 to $1,800. <b>Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1:</b> Celestial Floor Globe c. 1800. $1,400 to $1,800. <b>Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1:</b> Lewis Carroll: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, 1866 London MacMillan. $900 to $1,200. <b><center>Case Antiques<br>2026 Winter Fine Art & Antiques<br>January 31 and February 1, 2026</center><b> <b>Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1:</b> President Andrew Jackson Signed Patent, 1831. $1,000 to $1,200. <b>Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1:</b> Civil War Tintype of Calvin “Old Ballie” Walker, CSA 3rd TN Infantry, KIA, plus 3 Union Images. $800 to $1,000. <b>Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1:</b> 1855 Georgia Pocket Map, W. G. Bonner. $800 to $1,000. <b><center>Case Antiques<br>2026 Winter Fine Art & Antiques<br>January 31 and February 1, 2026</center><b> <b>Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1:</b> Audubon c. 1835 Birds of America Common Cormorant, Havell Edition. $800 to $900. <b>Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1:</b> George Eliot, Middlemarch, 1st Edition in 8 Volumes. $600 to $800. <b>Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1:</b> Four NASA Moon Survey Photos; 144M, 148M, 149M, 149H1. $400 to $600.
    Case Antiques
    2026 Winter Fine Art & Antiques
    January 31 and February 1, 2026
    Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1: 1775 Map of Virginia, Fry and Jefferson, ex-John Tyler. $6,000 to $8,000.
    Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1: Albrecht Durer Engraving, The Peasant Couple at Market. $3,400 to $3,800.
    Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1: 1777 Map: Wm. Faden, British Colonies in N. America, ex. John Tyler. $2,000 to $2,400.
    Case Antiques
    2026 Winter Fine Art & Antiques
    January 31 and February 1, 2026
    Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1: 30 Vols. George Eliot 1st Editions; Mill on the Floss, Silas Marner, Deronda, etc. $1,400 to $1,800.
    Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1: Celestial Floor Globe c. 1800. $1,400 to $1,800.
    Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1: Lewis Carroll: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, 1866 London MacMillan. $900 to $1,200.
    Case Antiques
    2026 Winter Fine Art & Antiques
    January 31 and February 1, 2026
    Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1: President Andrew Jackson Signed Patent, 1831. $1,000 to $1,200.
    Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1: Civil War Tintype of Calvin “Old Ballie” Walker, CSA 3rd TN Infantry, KIA, plus 3 Union Images. $800 to $1,000.
    Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1: 1855 Georgia Pocket Map, W. G. Bonner. $800 to $1,000.
    Case Antiques
    2026 Winter Fine Art & Antiques
    January 31 and February 1, 2026
    Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1: Audubon c. 1835 Birds of America Common Cormorant, Havell Edition. $800 to $900.
    Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1: George Eliot, Middlemarch, 1st Edition in 8 Volumes. $600 to $800.
    Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1: Four NASA Moon Survey Photos; 144M, 148M, 149M, 149H1. $400 to $600.