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Sotheby’s
Fine Books & Manuscripts
June 24-25Sotheby’s, June 25: Keats, John. The most significant collection of Keats’s love letters to come to market since 1885. $1,500,000 to $2,500,000.Sotheby’s, June 25: Chassériau, Benoît. The “Expedicion secreta” of the Free State of Cartagena de Indias against the forts of Portobelo (Panama). $50,000 to $70,000.Sotheby’s, June 25: (Hamilton, Alexander, James Madison, and John Jay). "One of the new nation's most important contributions to the theory of government”. $150,000 to $180,000.Sotheby’s, June 24: Benjamin Franklin. "the Day of the Declaration of Independence is everywhere annually celebrated". $80,000 to $120,000.Sotheby’s, June 24: (Johann Conrad Beissel). A Sammelband of two of Benjamin Franklin's rarest imprints. $70,000 to $100,000.Sotheby’s, June 25: [Pernambuco]. First printed work in favor of Brazilian Independence. $150,000 to $200,000. -
June 23rd, 24th & 25th 2026 Fonsie Mealy’s, June 23-25: Medical Incunabula: Petit (Jean)publisher & Kerver (Thielman)printer. Regimen Sanitatis Salernitanum, sm. 8vo, Paris [1498]Fonsie Mealy’s, June 23-25: Hugo (Victor) [Wraxall (Lascelles)]. Les Miserable, 3 vols., 8vo, L. (Hurst & Blackett) 1862, First Authorized English Translation (copyright).Fonsie Mealy’s, June 23-25: Shelley (Mary Wollstonecraft). Frankenstein: or The Modern Prometheus, 8vo, 2 vols. in one, L. (G. & W.B. Whittaker, Ave-Maria-Lane) 1823.June 23rd, 24th & 25th 2026 Fonsie Mealy’s, June 23-25: Cuisine: Anon. Cookery, Pastry, and Sweet Meats in three Books, Alphabetically Digested, 8vo 1710.Fonsie Mealy’s, June 23-25: Lambert (Aylmer Bourke). A Description of the Genus Pinus, with Directions Relative to the Cultivation…, 2 vols. Sm. folio L. (Messrs. Weddell) 1832.Fonsie Mealy’s, June 23-25: Botany: Curtis (William). Flora Londinensis: or Plates and Descriptions of such Plants as Grow Wild in the Environs of London, 2 vols. folio, London (B. White) 1777 – 1798.June 23rd, 24th & 25th 2026 Fonsie Mealy’s, June 23-25: Le Moire (J.M.) Maple Leaves, Canadian History and Quebec Scenery (Third Series) 8vo Quebec (Hunter, Rose & Co.) 1865. First Edn.Fonsie Mealy’s, June 23-25: The Earliest Extant Printed House Contents Sale Catalogue in Ireland: Baillie, Auctioneer, Abby Street. A Catalogue of the Goods and Stock of the late Edward Wingfield…Fonsie Mealy’s, June 23-25: William III King of England. Autograph Letter Signed ("William R") to an unnamed correspondent [possibly Charles-Henri de Lorraine] discussing his strategy against the French forces during the siege of Namur.June 23rd, 24th & 25th 2026 Fonsie Mealy’s, June 23-25: [Austen (Jane) (1785-1817]. Pride and Prejudice, 3 vols. sm. 8vo, L. (T. Egerton) 1813.Fonsie Mealy’s, June 23-25: Heaney (Seamus). Ugolino, sm. folio D. (Dolmen) 1979, Limited Edn. No. 78/125 Copies, Signed by Seamus Heaney, Louis le Brocquy, Liam Miller and Andrew Carpenter.Fonsie Mealy’s, June 23-25: Voltaire (F.M. Avouet de). Petits Ouvrages, attribues a M. de Voltaire, sm. folio manuscript, dated 1776, containing 9 works. -
Bonhams, June 14-23: Franklin D. Roosevelt Presentation Gold Pocket Watch. Estimate: $20,000 - 30,000Bonhams, June 14-23: Presentation Copy of the First Issue of the Lincoln Douglas Debates Signed by Abraham Lincoln in Pencil to a Sangamon County Illinois Republican. Estimate: $150,000 - 250,000Bonhams, June 14-23: A Senate Resolution Signed in the Tense Days After the Union's Humiliating Defeat at the First Battle of Bull Run. Estimate: $80,000 - $120,000Bonhams, June 14-23: Seven Passages to a Flight, an Artists Book with a Story Quilt by Faith Ringgold, the Publisher's Own Copy. Estimate: $80,000 - 120,000Bonhams, June 14-23: A New Charter for Virginia, A Response to the First Armed Rebellion in the American Colonies. Estimate: $15,000 - 25,000Bonhams, June 14-23: Earliest obtainable printing of the Bill of Rights. Estimate: $8,000 - 12,000Bonhams, June 14-23: Edward Curtis Orotone. Estimate: $7,000 - 9,000Bonhams, June 14-23: Owned by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis: A Butter or Dessert Plate from FDR's State Dinner Service. Estimate: $3,000 - 5,000Bonhams, June 14-23: An Early Large-Format Plan of the City of Washington. Estimate: $1,500 - 2,500Bonhams, June 14-23: Containing the First Map to Name the Hudson River. Estimate: $20,000 - 30,000Bonhams, June 14-23: America's First Major Novelist, a Complete Chapter in Autograph Manuscript by James Fenimore Cooper. Estimate: $15,000 - 20,000Bonhams, June 14-23: The Only Full-Length Book by Jefferson, with the Justly Famous Map. Estimate: $12,000 - 18,000
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June 25, 2026 Doyle, June 25: Houdini's biography, boldly signed. $3,000 to $5,000.Doyle, June 25: A volume from Abraham Lincoln's library, signed just before heading to Washington for his inauguration. $20,000 to $30,000.Doyle, June 25: A very early Confederate recruiting manual belonging to the chief commissary in Lee's Army. $600 to $800.Doyle, June 25: Rare hand-colored lithographs of the life of Napoleon. $20,000 to $30,000.Doyle, June 25: The "Holster Atlas" of the American Revolution. $5,000 to $8,000.Doyle, June 25: Jewish ceremonies in fine hand-colored engravings. $7,000 to $10,000.Doyle, June 25: A very rare work on Turkish military costume. $1,000 to $1,500.June 25, 2026 Doyle, June 25: The most important illustrated work on the Mexican-American War. $10,000 to $15,000.Doyle, June 25: The finest illustrated book on Afghanistan. $10,000 to $15,000.Doyle, June 25: Henry Justice Ford St. George rescues the Princess from the horrible Dragon. $2,000 to $3,000.Doyle, June 25: A rare work of Prussian Army uniforms under Frederick William II, with exquisite hand-colored engravings. $800 to $1,200.Doyle, June 25: Lenny Bruce typed letter signed to a Village bohemian during his obscenity trials, with a manuscript note and drawing. $300 to $500.Doyle, June 25: Schiff's scarce Shanghai Sketchbook. $300 to $500.Doyle, June 25: The first accurate published representation of the American flag. $2,000 to $4,000.
Auction Update Review
Rare Book Hub: 35 Auctions Archived, another 44 Upcoming this Week
For the week ended 10 January, 35 auctions have been archived to Rare Book Hub’s Transactions+ database; 8 denominated in euros, 3 in British pounds, 1 in Mexican pesos, 1 in Norwegian krone, and 22 in US dollars.
Seven thousand and eighty-two lots were offered and 5,566 sold for a 78.59% win rate.
Turnover was $3,460,163.17. The average lot sold for $621.66
A fresh 44 auctions are posted that will complete this week.
No auctions last week saw their total proceeds reach a million dollars:
3 auctions saw total sales exceed 100% of the high estimates of all lots offered in the sale:
Propstore. The Wolf of Wall Street on January 7th: 565.31%
One Source Auctions. 13th Annual Post New Year's Antique & Collectible Auction on January 6th: 475.61%
John McInnis Auctioneers. Important Estates Collections on January 4th: 120.89%
22 sales saw at least 80% of their lots sell:
William H. Bunch Auctions and Appraisals. Eclectic Variety Auction on January 7th: 100.00%
Propstore. The Wolf of Wall Street on January 7th: 100.00%
Heritage Auctions. Tuesday World Paper Money Select Auction on January 7th: 100.00%
Heritage Auctions. Pulp Magazine Select Auction on January 5th: 100.00%
Heritage Auctions. Wednesday Comic Art and Animation Select Auction on January 8th: 99.69%
Heritage Auctions. Sunday, Monday & Tuesday Comic Books Select Auction on January 7th: 99.40%
Schilb Antiquarian. Rare Books with NO Reserve, NO Buyer's Premium on January 5th: 99.04%
Trillium Antique Prints & Rare Books. Fine Art - Antique Engravings & Lithographs - Works on Paper on January 4th: 98.63%
Heritage Auctions. Sunday Sports Collectibles Select Auction on January 5th: 98.48%
Heritage Auctions. Wednesday Trading Card Games Select Auction on January 8th: 98.41%
John McInnis Auctioneers. Important Estates Collections on January 4th: 95.65%
Weiss Auctions. Books, Works on Paper, & the Penzler Collection on January 8th: 94.49%
EV Stamps. Sports Auction on January 4th: 94.12%
New England Book Auctions. Fine Books and Ephemera List on January 7th: 92.99%
Catawiki B. V.. Autographs and Manuscripts on December 30th: 90.74%
Rago Arts and Auctions. LAMA: Prints and Multiples on January 8th: 90.59%
Heritage Auctions. Sunday Movie Posters Select Auction on January 5th: 89.54%
One Source Auctions. 13th Annual Post New Year's Antique & Collectible Auction on January 6th: 89.32%
Heritage Auctions. Depth of Field: Photographs Showcase Auction on January 8th: 88.33%
Catawiki B. V.. Old and Rare Books Auction (pre-1700) on December 30th: 86.14%
RR Auction. Fine Autographs and Artifacts - bidstart 10/28 on January 8th: 81.59%
Catawiki B. V.. Autographs and Manuscripts on December 29th: 81.48%
35 total sales reported this week:
Rossini. Posters, Lithographs and Works on Paper on January 9th: 17.02%
PBA Galleries. Antiquarian and Collectable Books, and Related Items on January 9th: 78.53%
Weiss Auctions. Books, Works on Paper, & the Penzler Collection on January 8th: 94.49%
Trafford Books. Books, Autographs, Photographs, Ephemera, Postcards, Stamps and Postal History on January 8th: 67.26%
RR Auction. Fine Autographs and Artifacts - bidstart 10/28 on January 8th: 81.59%
Rago Arts and Auctions. LAMA: Prints and Multiples on January 8th: 90.59%
Eldreds. Cabin Fever Auction - session 2 on January 9th: 77.78%
Eldreds. Cabin Fever Auction - session 1 on January 8th: 70.00%
Heritage Auctions. Depth of Field: Photographs Showcase Auction on January 8th: 88.33%
Heritage Auctions. Wednesday Trading Card Games Select Auction on January 8th: 98.41%
Heritage Auctions. Wednesday Comic Art and Animation Select Auction on January 8th: 99.69%
Catawiki B. V.. Old and Rare Books Auction (pre-1700) on January 1st: 73.17%
Catawiki B. V.. Old and Rare Books Auction (pre-1700) on December 30th: 86.14%
Catawiki B. V.. Exclusive Books Auction on December 30th: 52.17%
Catawiki B. V.. Autographs and Manuscripts on December 30th: 90.74%
Catawiki B. V.. Autographs and Manuscripts on December 29th: 81.48%
Catawiki B. V.. Exclusive Books Auction on December 28th: 47.50%
William H. Bunch Auctions and Appraisals. Eclectic Variety Auction on January 7th: 100.00%
Propstore. The Wolf of Wall Street on January 7th: 100.00%
New England Book Auctions. Fine Books and Ephemera List on January 7th: 92.99%
Purcell Auctioneers. Timed Book Auction - Antiquarian, Modern Literary, Signed Editions etc. etc. on January 6th: 63.17%
One Source Auctions. 13th Annual Post New Year's Antique & Collectible Auction on January 6th: 89.32%
Lay's Auctioneers. The Timed Art Sale on January 6th: 66.67%
Tabula Auctions Ltd. Antique Maps and Prints -- online 12/19 on January 5th: 28.89%
Schilb Antiquarian. Rare Books with NO Reserve, NO Buyer's Premium on January 5th: 99.04%
Morton Subastas. Saturday Sale on January 4th: 46.05%
John McInnis Auctioneers. Important Estates Collections on January 4th: 95.65%
EV Stamps. Sports Auction on January 4th: 94.12%
Antikvariat Bryggen AS. New Years Auction on January 5th: 69.63%
Heritage Auctions. Tuesday World Paper Money Select Auction on January 7th: 100.00%
Heritage Auctions. Pulp Magazine Select Auction on January 5th: 100.00%
Heritage Auctions. Sunday Sports Collectibles Select Auction on January 5th: 98.48%
Heritage Auctions. Sunday Movie Posters Select Auction on January 5th: 89.54%
Heritage Auctions. Sunday, Monday & Tuesday Comic Books Select Auction on January 7th: 99.40%
Trillium Antique Prints & Rare Books. Fine Art - Antique Engravings & Lithographs - Works on Paper on January 4th: 98.63%
For the week ahead 44 sales are scheduled:
Mon. Jan. 13th
Catawiki B. V.. LA Assen, . Autographs and Manuscripts. 34 lots
Catawiki B. V.. LA Assen, . Old and Rare Books Auction (pre-1700). 102 lots
Tue. Jan. 14th
Bonhams. Marlborough. Prints and Photographs. 193 lots
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Tuesday US Currency Select Auction. 403 lots
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Tuesday World Paper Money Select Auction. 125 lots
Finarte. Milan. Photographs. 310 lots
New England Book Auctions. South Deerfield. Early Printing Americana Architecture, etc.. 187 lots
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Tuesday Animation and Anime Art, Disneyana and Disneyland Select Auction. 168 lots
Wed. Jan. 15th
Grant Zahajko Auctions. DAVENPORT. Sports Cards & Memorabilia, Comic Books + Autographs. 477 lots
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Wednesday Comic Art and Animation Select Auction. 327 lots
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Wednesday Trading Card Games Select Auction. 58 lots
Rossini. Paris. Bibliothèque de la Pléiade & livres d'art, including Citadelles & Mazenod. 168 lots
The Swan. Oxfordshire. Antiques & Interiors to include Jewellery, Watches, Silver, Porcelain, Books, Paintings & Furniture. 48 lots
Ripley Auctions. Indianapolis. Great Estates Timed Auction: Single-Owner Lifetime Collections; Kathie Stewart-Smith. 26 lots
Catawiki B. V.. LA Assen, . Old and Rare Books Auction (pre-1700). 45 lots
Thu. Jan. 16th
Potter and Potter Auctions. Chicago. Fine Books & Manuscripts, and the Dornish Collection of Children's Book Art. 495 lots
Thomson Roddick Auctioneers & Valuers. Carlisle. Antiquarian and Collectable Books, and Related Items. 283 lots
Forum Auctions. London. Online Sale: Books and Works on Paper. 235 lots
Bonhams. Los Angeles. Prints and Multiples, Online. 174 lots
Rossini. Paris. Paintings, Posters, Lithographs, Works on Paper & Sculptures. 318 lots
RR Auction. Amherst. Olympia. 96 lots
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Dungeon & Dragons and Roleplaying Games Showcase Auction. 240 lots
Eldreds. East Dennis,. Asian Art: session 1. 22 lots
Ahlers & Ogletree. Atlanta. New Year's Signature Estates. 32 lots
Du Mouchelles. Detroit. Curated Selections. 90 lots
Fairhill Auction. Elkton. January Vintage Posters, Collectibles & Erotica Auction. 514 lots
Morton Subastas. México DF CP 11000. Start the Year, Start your Collection. 80 lots
Setdart. BARCELONA. Contemporary Art and Latest Trends. 43 lots
Nye & Company Auctioneers. Bloomfield. New Years Sale. 38 lots
Fri. Jan. 17th
Bonhams. Los Angeles. Surrealist Treasures The Urban S. Hirsch III Collection. 98 lots
Du Mouchelles. Detroit. January 2025: Online Only Exclusives. 45 lots
Michaans Auctions. Alameda, CA . January Gallery Auction. 33 lots
Sat. Jan. 18th
Sarasota Estate Auction. Sarasota. January 2025 Auction - Day 1. 105 lots
Trillium Antique Prints & Rare Books. Franklin. Fine Art - Antique Engravings & Lithographs - Works on Paper. 150 lots
Vogt Auction. San Antonio. The Texas Ranch Auction. 131 lots
North American Auction Company. Bozeman. Photography of the West: D.F. Barry, Huffman, & Antique Beadwork. 295 lots
Catawiki B. V.. LA Assen, . Exclusive Maps Auction. 23 lots
Sun. Jan. 19th
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Sunday, Monday & Tuesday Comic Books Select Auction.
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Sunday Movie Posters Select Auction.
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Sunday Sports Collectibles Select Auction. 202 lots
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Pulp Magazine Select Auction.
Sarasota Estate Auction. Sarasota. January 2025 Auction - Day 2. 155 lots
Catawiki B. V.. LA Assen, . Autographs and Manuscripts. 67 lots
Catawiki B. V.. LA Assen, . Exclusive Books Auction. 44 lots
Bruce McKinney
RBH and AE
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Bonhams, June 14-23: Palm-reading, astrology, and more. Estimate: $2,000 - 3,000Bonhams, June 14-23: Benjamin Franklin. Sammelband of 45 papers on electricity. Estimate: $8,000 - 12,000Bonhams, June 14-23: The basis for the whole modern electric-power industry. Estimate: $4,000 - 6,000Bonhams, June 14-23: Edgar Allen Poe. Poe on Mesmerism. Estimate: $2,500 - 3,500Bonhams, June 14-23: Reformation - The Architect of Lutheranism on Church Unity and Dissent. Estimate: $100,000 - 150,000Bonhams, June 14-23: The Rare 3-Paper Offprint Identifying the Double Helix Structure of DNA, Signed by Crick, Wilkins, Wilson, Stokes and Gosling. Estimate: $40,000 - 60,000Bonhams, June 14-23: Autograph book and Report from the Thirtieth Indian National Congress, featuring the signatures of Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, and Dadabhai Naoroji. Estimate: $6,000 - 8,000Bonhams, June 14-23: An Illustrated Miniature Hebrew Prayerbook Manuscript. Estimate: $30,000 - 50,000Bonhams, June 14-23: Autograph Working Draft of Arthur Conan Doyle's The Death Voyage. Estimate: $30,000 - 50,000Bonhams, June 14-23: "Perhaps the most celebrated and most beautiful herbal ever published." Estimate: $15,000 - 20,000Bonhams, June 14-23: Izaak Walton. The Compleat Angler or the Contemplative man's Recreation. Being a Discourse of Fish and Fishing. Estimate: $12,000 - 18,000Bonhams, June 14-23: A rare product of the Jaquard loom. Estimate: $8,000 - 12,000
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Freeman’s, June 30. Thomas Jefferson’s “Birth of the New Nation” letter, carried to Paris with the Treaty of Peace, by a Jewish patriot. $100,000-200,000.Freeman’s, June 30. “The rockets’ red glare.” A British midshipman’s log recording the bombardment of Fort McHenry. $60,000-80,000.Freeman’s, June 30. The Critical Promotion of a Naval Hero, Oliver Hazard Perry Commission signed by James Madison, 1812. $40,000-60,000.Freeman’s, June 30. Born in the USA: First Day of Printing in the United States, July 4, 1776. $15,000-25,000.Freeman’s, June 30. One of the Earliest Printed Announcements of American Independence, in the Exceedingly Rare Original Wrappers, 1776. $10,000-15,000.Freeman’s, June 30. "The Two Big Guns of the N.Y. Yanks": A Striking Type 1 Press Photograph of Lou Gehrig's Hands. $8,000-12,000.Freeman’s, June 30. A Unique Contemporary Manuscript Account of Joseph Smith's Final Words to His Followers, the Day Before his Violent Death. $8,000-12,000.Freeman’s, June 30. The State of Minnesota Officially Certifies the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution Of the United States. $8,000-12,000.Freeman’s, June 30. Extraordinarily Large Manuscript Petition Signed by a Who's Who of Colonial New York to Queen Anne from the Colony of New York. $8,000-12,000.Freeman’s, June 30. Mickey Mantle's First Cover: The Earliest Front-Page Newspaper Image of Mickey Mantle, "Something Good from Joplin". $8,000-12,000.Freeman’s, June 30. A Call to Arms in the Months Following the Declaration of Independence: An Early Continental Army Recruitment Poster. $6,000-9,000.Freeman’s, June 30. Samuel Jones, the Statesman Behind the Newly Discovered "Jones Declaration": His Annotated Set Used in His Working Law Library. $6,000-9,000.
