Auction Update Review

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Rare Book Hub: 21 Auctions Archived, another 20 Upcoming this Week

For the week ended Friday, 1st January 2021, 21 auctions were archived to Rare Book Hub’s Transactions+ Database; 6 denominated in euros, 1 in British pounds, and 14 in US dollars.

 

Turnover was $4,983,139 as 90% of all lots offered sold.  Four thousand two hundred and sixty-seven were offered and 3,850 changed hands.  The strength in the auction market has been remarkable.  Covid-19 leaves us uncertain but for those who live and breath rare books, manuscripts, maps and ephemera we are living in the golden age.  There’s been nothing like this before.

 

Best wishes for 2021!

 

1 auction saw total proceeds reach a million dollars [it's a late report]: 

Christies. Classic Art Evening Sale: Antiquity to 20th Century on July 28th: $3,457,331 

 


3 auctions saw total sales exceed 100% of the high estimates of all lots offered in the sale: 

Christies. Classic Art Evening Sale: Antiquity to 20th Century on July 28th: 223.96% 
Nadeau's Auction Gallery. New Year's Day Auction on January 1st: 144.69% 
Heritage Auctions. World Currency Weekly - Internet bidstart 12/22 on December 29th: 108.73% 


16 sales saw at least 80% of their lots sell: 

Christies. Classic Art Evening Sale: Antiquity to 20th Century on July 28th: 100.00% 
Heritage Auctions. Sports Collectibles Weekly - Bidstart 12/13 on December 27th: 99.59% 
Heritage Auctions. Comics, Animation, & Art Weekly Online - bidstart 12/20 on December 28th: 99.25% 
Heritage Auctions. World Currency Weekly - Internet bidstart 12/22 on December 29th: 99.25% 
Heritage Auctions. US Currency Weekly Online - Bidstart 12/22 on December 29th: 98.45% 
Leland Little Auctions. New Years Day Sale on January 1st: 97.83% 
Heritage Auctions. Movie Posters Weekly - Bidstart 12/20 on December 27th: 97.25% 
Nadeau's Auction Gallery. New Year's Day Auction on January 1st: 96.43% 
Trillium Antique Prints & Rare Books. Fine Art - Antique Engravings & Lithographs - Works on Paper on December 26th: 96.00% 
Heritage Auctions. The Conway Collection of Error Notes, Part I Currency Online Auction on December 30th: 95.65% 
William H. Bunch Auctions and Appraisals. Eclectic Variety on December 29th: 93.33% 
Stephenson's Auctioneers & Appraisers. Rock Concert Posters Session 2. From The Estate of Perry Pfeffer, founder of Postercade. on January 1st: 93.10% 
Catawiki B. V.. Old and Rare Books (Pre-1600) - bidstart 12/11 on December 22nd: 89.58% 
Catawiki B. V.. Old and Rare Books (Pre-1800) - bidstart 12/11 on December 23rd: 86.67% 
William H. Bunch Auctions and Appraisals. Online Only Variety Auction on December 28th: 85.71% 
Catawiki B. V.. Old and Rare Books (Pre-1700) - bidstart 12/11 on December 21st: 84.44% 

 

Top 25 Lots Reported This Past Week.
  1. Christies Master of the Monypenny Breviary and associates The Almanac Book of Hours, use of Rome, in Latin and French, illuminated manuscript on vellum [Bourges, c. 1490s] on July 28th Actual price: USD $2,228,498.
  2. Christies Joachim Wtewael (Utrecht 1566-1638) The Dutch maiden leading the Prince of Orange to battle on July 28th Actual price: USD $769,472.
  3. Christies Master of Francois de Rohan (active c.1525-1546) The Prayerbook of Mary Queen of Scots, use of Fontevraud, illuminated manuscript on vellum [Paris, c.1535-1540 (after 1534)] on July 28th Actual price: USD $425,208.
  4. Christies Giovanni di Paolo (Siena c.1399-1482) Easter Lamb, in a historiated initial "V" on a leaf from an illuminated Sequentiary on vellum [Siena, c.1435-40] on July 28th Actual price: USD $34,153.
  5. Soler Y Llach LIBROS DE ESTATUTOS DE LA ORDEN DEL CÍSTER. on December 22nd Actual price: USD $17,634.
  6. Heritage Auctions Loose Cylinder Error Double Face Printing Fr. 2027-B $10 1985 Federal Reserve Note. PMG About Uncirculated 55 EPQ. on December 30th Actual price: USD $13,200.
  7. Soler Y Llach ORATIO DOMINICA IN CLV LINGUAS VERSO ET EXOTICIS CHARACTERIBUS PLERUMQUE EXPRESSA on December 22nd Actual price: USD $11,756.
  8. Soler Y Llach IN PRIMUM AVICENNE CANONEM EXPOSITIO CUM QUESTIONIBUS EIUSDEM AB INDICE DICTI CUIUS Q[EM] IN MARGINIBUS APPOSITI. HUIC ETIAM NOUE IMPRESSINI SCITO ADDITAM FORE EXPOSITIONEM PRECLARI JACOBI... on December 22nd Actual price: USD $11,756.
  9. One Of A Kind Collectibles Thomas Jefferson (wants to bring his private French chef to Monticello ) on December 17th Actual price: USD $10,950.
  10. Heritage Auctions Showcase #4 The Flash (DC, 1956) CGC GD/VG 3.0 Cream to off-white pages. on December 28th Actual price: USD $10,500.
  11. Soler Y Llach BOETII VIRI CELEBERRIMI DE CONSOLATIONE PHILOSOPHIE LIBER CUM OPTIMO CO[M]MENTO BEATI THOME COLONIA. on December 22nd Actual price: USD $10,287.
  12. Soler Y Llach SEDULII PASCHALE CUM COMMENTO ANTONII NEBRISSENSIS. on December 22nd Actual price: USD $9,552.
  13. Heritage Auctions The Amazing Spider-Man #1 (Marvel, 1963) CGC VG+ 4.5 Off-white to white pages. on December 28th Actual price: USD $9,000.
  14. Heritage Auctions GoldenEye 007 - Wata 9.2 A++ Sealed, N64 Nintendo 1997 USA. on December 28th Actual price: USD $8,700.
  15. Heritage Auctions Bruce Springsteen by Annie Leibovitz (1984). Very Fine. Signed Framed Photo (Approximately 18" X 22"). Rock and Roll. on December 27th Actual price: USD $7,800.
  16. Soler Y Llach COMENCIA LA VITA DEL FLORIOSO SANCTO HIERONIMO DOCTORE EXCELLENTISSIMO. on December 22nd Actual price: USD $7,053.
  17. Catawiki B. V. Mechanica: sive, de Motu, Tractatus Geometricus on December 21st Actual price: USD $6,664.
  18. Catawiki B. V. Cornucopiae, sive linguae latinae commentarii, ubi quam plurima loca on December 22nd Actual price: USD $6,658.
  19. Soler Y Llach RERUM A FERNANDO ET ELISABE HISPANIA[RUM] FELICISSIMIS REGIBUS GESTARU[M] DECADES DUAE, NECNO[N] BELLI VAVARIE[N]SIS LIBRI DUO, NU[N]C SECU[N]DO EDITI... on December 22nd Actual price: USD $6,613.
  20. Heritage Auctions The Avengers #1 (Marvel, 1963) CGC FN+ 6.5 Off-white pages. on December 28th Actual price: USD $6,600.
  21. Stephenson's Auctioneers & Appraisers Original Woodstock Music Festival concert poster on January 1st Actual price: USD $6,250.
  22. Soler Y Llach EXPLICATION DES PLANCHES COMPOSANT L´ATLAS DES VOYAGES D´ALI BEY on December 22nd Actual price: USD $6,172.
  23. Nadeau's Auction Gallery Love, from "Book of Love", 1996 on January 1st Actual price: USD $6,150.
  24. Heritage Auctions Fantastic Four #5 (Marvel, 1962) CBCS VG- 3.5 Cream to off-white pages. on December 28th Actual price: USD $5,640.
  25. Nadeau's Auction Gallery Botanical Celeberrimo Eystettensis, campanula minor sylvestris flore caeruleo consolida regalis arvensis flore on January 1st Actual price: USD $5,535.

 


21 total sales reported this week:

Stephenson's Auctioneers & Appraisers. Rock Concert Posters Session 2. From The Estate of Perry Pfeffer, founder of Postercade. on January 1st: 93.10%
Nadeau's Auction Gallery. New Year's Day Auction on January 1st: 96.43%
Leland Little Auctions. New Years Day Sale on January 1st: 97.83%
Christies. Classic Art Evening Sale: Antiquity to 20th Century on July 28th: 100.00%
Heritage Auctions. The Conway Collection of Error Notes, Part I Currency Online Auction on December 30th: 95.65%
William H. Bunch Auctions and Appraisals. Eclectic Variety on December 29th: 93.33%
Heritage Auctions. US Currency Weekly Online - Bidstart 12/22 on December 29th: 98.45%
Heritage Auctions. World Currency Weekly - Internet bidstart 12/22 on December 29th: 99.25%
William H. Bunch Auctions and Appraisals. Online Only Variety Auction on December 28th: 85.71%
Soler Y Llach. Rare and Valuable Books on December 22nd: 24.86%
Heritage Auctions. Sports Collectibles Weekly - Bidstart 12/13 on December 27th: 99.59%
Heritage Auctions. Movie Posters Weekly - Bidstart 12/20 on December 27th: 97.25%
Heritage Auctions. Comics, Animation, & Art Weekly Online - bidstart 12/20 on December 28th: 99.25%
One Of A Kind Collectibles. Rare Autographs and Books on December 17th: 79.84%
Catawiki B. V.. Old and Rare Books (Pre-1800) - bidstart 12/18 on December 25th: 79.35%
Catawiki B. V.. Old and Rare Books (Pre-1800) - bidstart 12/11 on December 23rd: 86.67%
Catawiki B. V.. Old and Rare Books (Pre-1600) - bidstart 12/11 on December 22nd: 89.58%
Catawiki B. V.. Old and Rare Books (Pre-1700) - bidstart 12/11 on December 21st: 84.44%
Catawiki B. V.. Autographs and Manuscripts - bidstart 12/11 on December 20th: 77.50%
Kedem Auctions Ltd.. Jewish and Israeli History, Art and Culture on December 22nd: 77.72%
Trillium Antique Prints & Rare Books. Fine Art - Antique Engravings & Lithographs - Works on Paper on December 26th: 96.00%


For the week ahead 20 sales are scheduled:

Mon. Jan. 4th
Bruun Rasmussen. Copenhagen. Prints. 85 lots
Catawiki B. V.. LA Assen, . Old and Rare Books (Pre-1700) - bidstart 12/25. 88 lots

Tue. Jan. 5th
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. US Currency Weekly Online - Bidstart 12/29. 557 lots
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. World Currency Weekly - Internet bidstart 12/29. 152 lots
Catawiki B. V.. LA Assen, . Old and Rare Books (Pre-1600) - bidstart 12/25. 38 lots

Wed. Jan. 6th
De Baecque and Associes. Lyon. Stamps and Postcards. 131 lots
University Archives. Westport. Rare Autographs, Manuscripts, and Books. 440 lots
Catawiki B. V.. LA Assen, . Old and Rare Books (Pre-1800) - bidstart 12/25. 114 lots
Alaska Auction. Anchorage. Online Only Auction. 57 lots

Thu. Jan. 7th
Forum Auctions. London. Online Sale: Books and Works on Paper. 266 lots
PBA Galleries. San Francisco. Fine Literature - Science Fiction and Mystery. 455 lots

Fri. Jan. 8th
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. Chicago. Chicago Collections. 26 lots
Eldreds. East Dennis,. Online Only: Winter Market. 25 lots
Catawiki B. V.. LA Assen, . Old and Rare Books (Pre-1800) - bidstart 1/1. 67 lots

Sat. Jan. 9th
Guernseys. New York, NY. Collector's Odyssey - Online. 240 lots
Trillium Antique Prints & Rare Books. Franklin. Fine Art - Antique Engravings & Lithographs - Works on Paper. 200 lots

Sun. Jan. 10th
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Comics, Animation, & Art Weekly Online - bidstart 1/3.
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Sports Collectibles Weekly - Bidstart 12/27. 251 lots
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Movie Posters Weekly - Bidstart 1/3.
Catawiki B. V.. LA Assen, . Autographs and Manuscripts - bidstart 1/1. 32 lots

Bruce McKinney

RBH and AE

  • 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.
  • Sotheby’s
    Nelson, His Life and His Navy:
    The Clive Richards Collection of Letters and Manuscripts
    November 18, 2026
    Sotheby’s
    Nelson, His Life and His Navy:
    The Clive Richards Collection of Letters and Manuscripts
    November 18, 2026
    Sotheby’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 November
    Forum, 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 - £50,000
    Forum, Nov. 19: Crescenzi (Bartolomeo). Nautica mediterranea, 2 parts in 1, second edition, with rare engraved folding map, Rome, Bartolomeo Bonfadino, 1607. £15,000 - £20,000
    Forum, Nov. 19: Aristotle. [The Works], 10 vol.,, translated by Thomas Taylor, Printed for the Translator... by Robert Wilks, 1807-12. £6,000-8,000
    Forum
    Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    Thursday 19th November
    Forum, 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]. £6,000-8,000
    Forum, Nov. 19: Vitruvius Pollio (Marcus). I Dieci Libri dell'Architettura, translated by Daniele Barbaro, Venice, Francesco Marcolini, 1556. £7,000-10,000
    Forum, Nov. 19: Rowling (J.K.) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, first edition, hardback issue, first printing, Bloomsbury, 1997. £50,000-70,000
    Forum
    Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    Thursday 19th November
    Forum, 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. £15,000-20,000
    Forum, 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). £35,000-45,000
    Forum, 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. £15,000-20,000
    Forum
    Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    Thursday 19th November
    Forum, Nov. 19: Gersdorff (Hans von). Feldtbuch der Wund-Arzney, enlarged edition, Strassburg, Hans Schotten, 1540. £20,000-30,000
    Forum, 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. £8,000-12,000
    Forum, 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 - $17,000
    Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 63. The Largest of the Strada "Leo Belgicus" Editions (1632) Est. $3,250 - $4,000
    Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 71. Blaeu's Stunning Carte-a-Figures Map of the Americas (1640) Est. $4,000 - $4,750
    Old 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 - $6,000
    Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 172. 1775 Edition of the Landmark Fry-Jefferson Map of Virginia and Maryland (1775) Est. $12,000 - $15,000
    Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 46. Doppelmayr's Fine Celestial Chart (1742) Est. $800 - $950
    Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 212. First Edition Ski Country Map by Pioneer Hal Shelton (1965) Est. $500 - $700
    Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 732. Ruscelli's Complete Atlas with 69 Maps and Updated Maps of the Continents (1599) Est. $8,000 - $9,500
    Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 329. Ortelius' Map of Iceland Surrounded by Sea Monsters (1585) Est. $11,000 - $13,000
    Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 600. Heinrich Bunting's Rare Map of Asia in the Form of a Pegasus (1581) Est. $3,000 - $3,750
    Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 716. Bible Leaf with Hand-Colored Image of the Adoration of the Magi (1490) Est. $2,000 - $2,300
  • Ketterer Rare Books
    Auction November 23
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: L. Feininger, Collection of autograph letters to Alois J. Schardt, 1920-1955. Est: € 150,000-250,000
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: Flemish book of hours, Ghent-Bruges School around 1480-1500. Est: € 40,000
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: F. de Wit, Atlas maior, um 1700. Est: € 50,000
    Ketterer Rare Books
    Auction November 23
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: A. Stieglitz, Camera Work, 48 volumes, 1903-1914. Est: € 60,000
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: M. Merian & M. Zeiller, Sämtliche Topographien, 21 volumes, 1642-1736. Est: € 50,000
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: R. Indiana and R. Creely, Numbers, 1968. Est: € 4,000
    Ketterer Rare Books
    Auction November 23
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: Salerno Breviarium, Latin manuscript on vellum, North Italy around 1470-1476. Est: € 40,000
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: M. S. Merian, Surinaamsche (&) europische Insecten, 1730. Est: € 30,000
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: M. Beckmann, Jahrmarkt, Portfolio of 10 signed etchings, 1922. Est: € 25,000
    Ketterer Rare Books
    Auction November 23
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: Justinianus, Infortiatum, 1475. Est: € 10,000
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: B. Besler, Hortus Eystettensis, um 1750. Est: € 28,000
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: J. Gris and P. Reverdy, Au soleil du plafond, 1955. Est: € 3,000