Auction Update Review
Sixteen Auctions Archived, 9 Sales Upcoming
For the week ended Saturday, December 24th, 2016, 16 auctions were archived to the Rare Book Hub Transaction Database; 5 denominated in euros, 2 in British pounds, and 9 in US dollars. Turnover was a svelte $3,089,517 as 4,659 lots were offered and 3,690 sold for a 79% success rate. The high season now passes before our eyes and a few weeks of relative quiet descend upon us.
Now, as the market quiets for a well-deserved respite we extend our best wishes for a safe and successful holiday season to all in the field.
2 auctions saw total sales exceed 100% of the high estimates of all lots offered:
Skinner. Judaica Online - Internet bidstart 12/7 on December 15th: 137.85%
Robert Siegel Galleries. United States and Confederate States Postal History on December 15th: 125.20%
7 sales saw at least 80% of their lots sell:
Forum Auctions in Italy. Antiquarian and Rare Books on December 14th: 100.00%
Forum Auctions. The Library of the late David Harrison: 17th-19th Century Literature & the Arts on December 8th: 100.00%
Heritage Auctions. Comics - Internet bidstart 12/11 on December 18th: 99.24%
Heritage Auctions. Movie Posters - Internet bidstart 12/11 on December 18th: 97.90%
Robert Siegel Galleries. United States and Confederate States Postal History on December 15th: 97.02%
Skinner. Judaica Online - Internet bidstart 12/7 on December 15th: 82.50%
RR Auction. Science and Technology - Internet bidstart 12/8 on December 15th: 82.28%
A total of 16 sales were reported this week:
RR Auction. Science and Technology - Internet bidstart 12/8 on December 15th: 82.28%
Robert Siegel Galleries. United States and Confederate States Postal History on December 15th: 97.02%
Bruun Rasmussen. Prints on December 20th: 73.49%
De Baecque and Associes. Post Cards on December 16th: 44.10%
Pierre Berge and Associes. Icons and Photographs from the 1960s-2000s on December 12th: 29.31%
Holabird Kagin Americana. Western Americana - Day 4 on December 12th: 59.02%
Holabird Kagin Americana. Western Americana - Day 2 on December 10th: 63.13%
Holabird Kagin Americana. Western Americana - Day 1 on December 9th: 79.85%
Skinner. Judaica Online - Internet bidstart 12/7 on December 15th: 82.50%
Pierre Berge and Associes. Library of an Amateur on December 16th: 70.50%
Forum Auctions in Italy. Antiquarian and Rare Books on December 14th: 100.00%
Forum Auctions. The Library of the late David Harrison: 17th-19th Century Literature & the Arts on December 8th: 100.00%
Forum Auctions. Editions and Works on Paper on December 5th: 56.43%
PBA Galleries. Americana - Travel - Cartography on December 15th: 71.91%
Heritage Auctions. Movie Posters - Internet bidstart 12/11 on December 18th: 97.90%
Heritage Auctions. Comics - Internet bidstart 12/11 on December 18th: 99.24%
For the week ahead 9 sales are scheduled:
Mon. Dec. 26th
Bruun Rasmussen. Copenhagen. Prints. 96 lots
Wed. Dec. 28th
Dirk Soulis Auctions. Lee's Summit . An Orderly Hoard of Pop Culture and Americana.
Thu. Dec. 29th
Auctionata. Berlin. From Joseph Beuys to Henry Moore: Prints and Editions. 135 lots
Auctionata. Berlin. Abstractionism: Post War Art - Prints. 12 lots
Auctionata. Berlin. Art of Nature: Animals, Flowers and Still Life from four Centuries. 20 lots
Auctionata. Berlin. Naked: Nudes from the 20th and 21st Centuries. 31 lots
Fri. Dec. 30th
Tooveys. West Sussex. Prints. 25 lots
Sun. Jan. 1st
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Sunday Internet Comics - bidstart 12/26.
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Sunday Internet Movie Posters - bidstart 12/26.
Bruce McKinney
RBH and AE
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Sotheby’s
Nelson, His Life and His Navy:
The Clive Richards Collection of Letters and Manuscripts
November 18, 2026Sotheby’s
Nelson, His Life and His Navy:
The Clive Richards Collection of Letters and Manuscripts
November 18, 2026Sotheby’s
Nelson, His Life and His Navy:
The Clive Richards Collection of Letters and Manuscripts
November 18, 2026 -
Forum
Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
Thursday 19th NovemberForum, Nov. 19: The ‘Saxe-Meiningen Psalter’, in Latin, illuminated manuscript on vellum, [northern France or adjacent southern Netherlands, second half of the thirteenth century]. £30,000 - £50,000Forum, Nov. 19: Crescenzi (Bartolomeo). Nautica mediterranea, 2 parts in 1, second edition, with rare engraved folding map, Rome, Bartolomeo Bonfadino, 1607. £15,000 - £20,000Forum, Nov. 19: Aristotle. [The Works], 10 vol.,, translated by Thomas Taylor, Printed for the Translator... by Robert Wilks, 1807-12. £6,000-8,000Forum
Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
Thursday 19th NovemberForum, Nov. 19: Turing (Alan).- Alan Turing's Slide Rule, engraved initials "A.M.T. Noli Hoc Furari", alongside other ephemera, housed in early 20th-century letter box, [mid.1920s-40s]. £6,000-8,000Forum, Nov. 19: Vitruvius Pollio (Marcus). I Dieci Libri dell'Architettura, translated by Daniele Barbaro, Venice, Francesco Marcolini, 1556. £7,000-10,000Forum, Nov. 19: Rowling (J.K.) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, first edition, hardback issue, first printing, Bloomsbury, 1997. £50,000-70,000Forum
Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
Thursday 19th NovemberForum, Nov. 19: Tolkien (J.R.R.) The Lord of the Rings, later impressions, each vol. signed by the author, London, George Allen & Unwin, 1957-58. £15,000-20,000Forum, Nov. 19: Gould (John). The Birds of Great Britain, 5 vol., first edition, [1862]-73; plus a presentation copy of Gould's Introduction to the Birds of Great Britain (6). £35,000-45,000Forum, Nov. 19: Galilei (Galileo). Istoria e Dimostrazioni intorno alle Macchie Solari e loro accidenti, comprese in tre lettere scritte all’illustrissimo signor Marco Velseri Linceo, first edition, Rome, 1613. £15,000-20,000Forum
Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
Thursday 19th NovemberForum, Nov. 19: Gersdorff (Hans von). Feldtbuch der Wund-Arzney, enlarged edition, Strassburg, Hans Schotten, 1540. £20,000-30,000Forum, Nov. 19: Kitchin (Thomas). A New Universal Atlas, first edition with maps in full original hand-colouring, Printed and Published by Robert Laurie and James Whittle, 1796. £8,000-12,000Forum, Nov. 19: Cassas (Louis François). Voyage Pittoresque de la Syrie, de la Phenicie, de la Palestine, et de la Basse Egypte, 2 vol., first edition, [Paris], 1799. £10,000-15,000 -
Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 41. Rare First State of the First Printed Map Devoted to the Arctic (1595) Est. $14,000 - $17,000Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 63. The Largest of the Strada "Leo Belgicus" Editions (1632) Est. $3,250 - $4,000Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 71. Blaeu's Stunning Carte-a-Figures Map of the Americas (1640) Est. $4,000 - $4,750Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 8. Mariette's Rare and Decorative Map of the World Based on the Work of Hondius (1642) Est. $4,750 - $6,000Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 172. 1775 Edition of the Landmark Fry-Jefferson Map of Virginia and Maryland (1775) Est. $12,000 - $15,000Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 46. Doppelmayr's Fine Celestial Chart (1742) Est. $800 - $950Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 212. First Edition Ski Country Map by Pioneer Hal Shelton (1965) Est. $500 - $700Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 732. Ruscelli's Complete Atlas with 69 Maps and Updated Maps of the Continents (1599) Est. $8,000 - $9,500Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 329. Ortelius' Map of Iceland Surrounded by Sea Monsters (1585) Est. $11,000 - $13,000Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 600. Heinrich Bunting's Rare Map of Asia in the Form of a Pegasus (1581) Est. $3,000 - $3,750Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 716. Bible Leaf with Hand-Colored Image of the Adoration of the Magi (1490) Est. $2,000 - $2,300
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Ketterer Rare Books
Auction November 23Ketterer, Nov. 23: L. Feininger, Collection of autograph letters to Alois J. Schardt, 1920-1955. Est: € 150,000-250,000Ketterer, Nov. 23: Flemish book of hours, Ghent-Bruges School around 1480-1500. Est: € 40,000Ketterer, Nov. 23: F. de Wit, Atlas maior, um 1700. Est: € 50,000Ketterer Rare Books
Auction November 23Ketterer, Nov. 23: A. Stieglitz, Camera Work, 48 volumes, 1903-1914. Est: € 60,000Ketterer, Nov. 23: M. Merian & M. Zeiller, Sämtliche Topographien, 21 volumes, 1642-1736. Est: € 50,000Ketterer, Nov. 23: R. Indiana and R. Creely, Numbers, 1968. Est: € 4,000Ketterer Rare Books
Auction November 23Ketterer, Nov. 23: Salerno Breviarium, Latin manuscript on vellum, North Italy around 1470-1476. Est: € 40,000Ketterer, Nov. 23: M. S. Merian, Surinaamsche (&) europische Insecten, 1730. Est: € 30,000Ketterer, Nov. 23: M. Beckmann, Jahrmarkt, Portfolio of 10 signed etchings, 1922. Est: € 25,000Ketterer Rare Books
Auction November 23Ketterer, Nov. 23: Justinianus, Infortiatum, 1475. Est: € 10,000Ketterer, Nov. 23: B. Besler, Hortus Eystettensis, um 1750. Est: € 28,000Ketterer, Nov. 23: J. Gris and P. Reverdy, Au soleil du plafond, 1955. Est: € 3,000 -
Heritage, Nov. 18: Orson Welles. Signed Third Revised Final Draft for Citizen Kane (RKO, 1941). July 16, 1940.Heritage, Nov. 18: Bob Dylan. Autograph manuscript working lyrics to "Man on the Street."Heritage, Nov. 18: Ernest Hemingway. Death in the Afternoon. Inscribed by the author to the daughter of the Spanish Ambassador.Heritage, Nov. 18: Jack London. The Call of the Wild. Inscribed by the author.Heritage, Nov. 18: John Steinbeck. East of Eden. Inscribed by 27 members of the movie cast and crew, including James Dean and Elia Kazan.

