Jeschke Jádi, Apr. 25: Lot 526 William Shakespeare. Hamlet. Cranach Press, 1928.
Jeschke Jádi, Apr. 25: Lot 1022. Eugen Johann Christoph Esper. Butterflies Leipzig, 1829-1839.
Doyle Rare Books, Autographs & Maps April 16, 2026
Doyle, Apr. 16: Twelve miscellaneous volumes on Italian history and literature. $100 to $200.
Doyle, Apr. 16: A fine collection of Company school paintings of Mughal monuments. $4,000 to $6,000.
Doyle, Apr. 16: A Book of Hours of Rouen with eight miniatures. $30,000 to $45,000.
Doyle, Apr. 16: Einstein discusses General Relativity and the Unified Field Theory. $20,000 to $30,000.
Doyle, Apr. 16: An extraordinary letter from Thomas Jefferson to Charles Willson Peale. $12,000 to $18,000.
Doyle, Apr. 16: Extraordinary color plates of the geology of St. Helena. $800 to $1,200.
Doyle, Apr. 16: The deluxe issue of Rorer's Mimpish Squinnies. $800 to $1,200.
Swann Fine Books Featuring Focus on Women April 23, 2026
Swann, Apr. 23: Thomas Heywood. An Apology for Actors. London: Printed by Nicholas Okes, 1612. $3,000 to $5,000.
Swann, Apr. 23: Illuminated Islamic Devotional Manuscript. 19th century. Approx. 90 leaves with gilt-decorated title and 2 full page miniatures of Mecca and Medina. $800 to $1,200.
Swann, Apr. 23: Antiphonal in Latin. Manuscript on Parchment. Cologne, early 16th century. $7,000 to $9,000.
Swann Fine Books Featuring Focus on Women April 23, 2026
Swann, Apr. 23: Mohammed ibn Jafir Albategnius. De Scientia Stellarum Liber. Bologna: Victor Benati, 1645. $8,000 to $12,000.
Swann, Apr. 23: Frank Herbert. Dune. Fine First Edition. Philadelphia: Chilton Books, 1965. $5,000 to $7,000.
Swann, Apr. 23: William Shakespeare. Five Plays from the Second Folio. London: Thomas Cotes for Robert Allot, 1632. $6,000 to $8,000.
Swann Fine Books Featuring Focus on Women April 23, 2026
Swann, Apr. 23: John Steinbeck. Of Mice and Men. New York: Covici-Friede, 1937. First edition, first issue. $800 to $1,200.
Swann, Apr. 23: Charles Dickens. A Tale of Two Cities. With an A.L.S. London: Chapman and Hall, 1859. First edition, first issue. $1,200 to $1,800.
Swann, Apr. 23: Ursula K. LeGuin. The Left Hand of Darkness. Inscribed First Edition. New York: Walker and Company, 1969. $800 to $1,200.
Swann Fine Books Featuring Focus on Women April 23, 2026
Swann, Apr. 23: L. Frank Baum & Ruth Plumly Thompson. Five First Canadian editions including Ozma of Oz; The Emerald City of Oz; Glinda of Oz; [and others]. $1,000 to $1,500.
Swann, Apr. 23: Corita Kent. Different Drummer. 1967. Color screenprint; signed "Corita" in pencil on the lower edge. $1,000 to $1,500.
Swann, Apr. 23: Bible in English. Tyndale-Taverner Translation. The Bugge Bible. The Holye Bible. London: Imprinted by John Daye and Willyam Seres, 1549. $1,500 to $2,000.
Rare Italian Banknote from WWII Occupation of Egypt Coming to Auction
- by Thomas C. McKinney
The banknote in question being sold at Winner's Auctions and Exhibits
Winner’s Auctions and Exhibits, the Jerusalem-based auction house I first wrote about in July’s Rare Book Monthly, is hosting another sale this month, Auction No. 095. With the house’s focus on Judaica, the auction visits topics such as holy books, letters from Rabbis and Rebbes, Maps, and Zionism. Auction No. 095 will take place on September 7th and includes 535 lots, all viewable online now on Winner’s website. And while the sale contains many noteworthy items (if you are a collector of Judaica, then the catalog is a must-read), this article’s focus is on a single, particularly rare item, hailing from the not-so-distant past.
In 1940, Italy, as an ally of Nazi Germany, invaded Egypt with the goal of seizing the Suez Canal. Prior to the invasion, the Foreign Ministers of Italy and Germany had divided the areas they planned to capture. Italy, with its designated territories of Egypt and North Africa, issued a series of eight special banknotes which were intended to replace the local currency. Five hundred million notes were issued, and on July 16, 1942, they were flown to Libya. In 1943, British forces under Montgomery Marshal defeated Axis forces in North Africa, and the plan to distribute the Italian banknotes was aborted. The military was then tasked with destroying the notes.
Over the years, there were whispers and rumors of a handful of banknotes that survived the torching by the Italian army. In 1967, a collector purchased five; they are currently found in the collection of Italia d’Banca. In the 1980s, three additional notes were stolen from an Italian collector and have since disappeared. In 1980, a complete set of eight “specimen” banknotes from the series was sold at auction in London for 90,000€. The sale in 1980 was the last time any of these banknotes has come up for sale.
Lot 169 of Winner’s Auction No. 095 is a 5 Lire banknote from the Italian occupation of Egypt, printed in 1942 and one of four known copies in the world. This particular copy came into the hands of a distinguished Jew from the Tripoli community, who personally received it from his chauffeur, a soldier in the Italian Army during World War II who saved it from destruction. The banknote is estimated $12,000-15,000.
Auction No. 095 takes place September 7, 2016, in Jersulaem. Bidding via absentee bid, telephone, and online is available, as well as live. The entire catalogis available here. Registration is required for first time bidders and can be done so by following this link.
Heritage, May 13: Isaac Asimov. I, Robot. The dedication copy, inscribed to John W. Campbell, Jr.
Heritage, May 13: Aldous Huxley. Brave New World. A fine copy, in a brilliant dust jacket.
Heritage, May 13: Ray Bradbury. Fahrenheit 451. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author.
Heritage, May 13: Robert A. Heinlein. Stranger in a Strange Land. A fine copy, signed by the author.
Heritage, May 13: Jules Verne. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas. Exceedingly rare true first American edition, first issue.
Sotheby’s Books, Manuscripts & Objects from Three Important Collections Open for Bidding 2-17 April
Sotheby’s, Apr. 2-17: [Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun]. Le Roman de la Rose, [Geneva or Lyons, c.1481], first printed edition of the most important medieval French vernacular poem. £200,000 to £300,000.
Sotheby’s, Apr. 2-17: Castiglione. Il libro del cortegiano. [Venice], April 1528, first edition, in a magnificent binding by Jean Picard for Jean Grolier. £100,000 to £150,000.
Sotheby’s, Apr. 2-17: Jacobus de Cessolis. Schachzabelbuch, Strasbourg, 1483, von der Lasa copy. £50,000 to £70,000.
Sotheby’s, Apr. 2-17: World Championship, 1972. A collection of 84 press photographs of the famed match between Spassky and Fischer. £2,000 to £3,000.
Sotheby’s, Apr. 2-17: Ben Franklin. Autograph letter signed, to Lord Shelburne, British Prime Minister, during peace negotiations, November 1782. £15,000 to £20,000.
S&D Scandinavian Art & Rare Book Auctions Rare Maps, Prints & Art 1478-1882 April 16, 2026
SD Auctions, Apr. 16: Ptolemy. North Africa from Ulm edition. Unique copy. 1482-86.
SD Auctions, Apr. 16: Blaeu. Masterpiece world map. c.1659.