November 4-18: Old World Auctions' November auction focuses on fresh material
- by Thomas C. McKinney
Highlights from Old World Auctions' November sale
Old World Auctions has offered multiple sales of rare maps and books for a long time. The business has been around since 1978, and since 2011, Eliane and Jon Dotson have been sole proprietors of the online-only auction house specializing in maps and other cartographic material. This month, they’re putting on a special sale with the help of their consignors. The premise is simple: Old World challenged consignors to send as much material as possible that the Dotsons had never seen before. Consignors delivered. More than a quarter of the material in the November catalogue are items that Old World has never listed. Considering 120,000 items have passed through their auctions, that’s saying something!
The auction catalogue and bidding will go live on November 4th and concludes on November 18th at 10pm eastern. The sale is comprised of approximately 800 lots of antique and vintage maps, atlases, historical documents, prints, illuminated manuscripts, and reference books. With maps from every corner of the world, nearly half of the lots estimated below $250, and dozens of items listed at no reserve, there are items to fit every interest and budget. As of the release of this article, the online catalogue will not be live yet, but it will be accessible from Old World Auctions’ website.
As the catalogue is not quite live, here’s a rundown of the some of the most interesting and “never before listed” items that will be coming to auction:
A very rare map of Arkansas Territory that predates the creation of the Arkansas-Indian Territory border. Weiland, Geographisch-Statistische und Historische Charte von Arkansas, 1828. Estimate $2,500-$3,250
One of the earliest maps dedicated to New Mexico Territory and an important document of private land grants and proposed railroads in the territory. William Morley, Morley's Map of New Mexico Compiled from the Latest Government Surveys and Other Reliable Sources, 1873. Estimate $12,000-$15,000
"There's gold in them thar hills!" A literal treasure map based on 10 years of research, showing the locations of 46 lost gold and silver mines in the southwestern United States. Treasurama, Trails to Treasures of the Golden Southwest, 1960. Estimate $450-650
Russian Lubok of the first conflict in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05, showing an overconfident Russia prior to losing the war. Torgo-Posrednicheskaya Kontora, [Vasya Flotiskiy - Vasya of the Fleet], 1904. Estimate $400-500
An anti-Italian propaganda map published at the start of World War I to vilify Italy for joining the Triple Entente and for declaring war on Austria-Hungary. E.B.W.I., Bismarks Ausspruch, 1915. Estimate $800-1,000
The first English map of the lower Mississippi River detailing new lands open to settlement. John Ross, Course of the River Mississipi, from the Balise to Fort Chartres, 1775. Estimate $3,250-$4,000
A rare globe gore broadside advertisement for a 36-inch globe that was never produced. Lowitz, Specimen Trigesimae Sextae Partis ex Globo Terrestri, 1749. Estimate $800-$1,000
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 123. Celebrate 250 Years of Independence with Original Stars and Stripes (1790) Est. $1,400 - $1,700
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 20. Keulen's Spectacular Chart of the World Featuring California as an Island (1728) Est. $12,000 - $15,000
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 42. Schedel's Ancient World Map with Fantastic Humanoid Creatures (1493) Est. $14,000 - $17,000
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 591. Matching Set of 3 Stunning Globe Gores of Eastern Asia from Coronelli's 3.5 Foot Globe (1688) Est. $5,500 - $7,000
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 9. Speed's Popular World Map with Allegorical Representations of the Elements (1651) Est. $14,000 - $17,000
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 168. First Separate Map of Kansas & Nebraska Territories (1854) Est. $5,500 - $7,000
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 43. Only Macrobius Map with Britain Attached to Europe (1515) Est. $800 - $950
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 250. Rare Map of Boston and One of the Earliest Maps of the Revolutionary War (1775) Est. $2,000 - $2,300
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 79. Schenk's Uncommon Map Featuring Two Figurative Title Cartouches (1696) Est. $1,200 - $1,500
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 681. Hand-Colored Image of the Annunciation to the Shepherds (1502) Est. $800 - $950
Sotheby's Book Week 2 June - 9 July
Sotheby’s, June 25: Smith, Adam. The Wealth of Nations, on its 250th anniversary. $180,000 to $250,000.
Sotheby’s, June 17: Fontana, Lucio. Concetto Spaziale. 1967. Leporello en papier doré. Bel exemplaire signé. €4,000 to $€,000.
Sotheby’s, June 25: Fitzgerald, F. Scott. "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past”. $150,000 to $200,000.
Sotheby’s, June 25: Washington, George (as First President). Washington decries “an ostentatious imitation, or mimickry of Royalty” in his Presidency. $250,000 to $500,000.
Sotheby’s, June 17: Lope de Vega. Rare manuscrit autographe signé de la préface dédicatoire de "El Cardenal de Belen" (le cardinal de Bethléem), pièce composée en 1610. €40,000 to €60,000.
Leland Little, June 12: The First Illustrated Edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
Leland Little, June 12: John Morton, Signer of the Declaration of Independence, Signed Pennsylvania Land Survey.
Leland Little, June 12: The Scarce Jansson Edition of a Remarkable Early View of London.
Leland Little, June 12: Signed Limited Edition of The Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Leland Little, June 12: Faden’s Important and Scarce Map of the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution.
Leland Little, June 12: William J. Tate (NC, 1869-1953), Archive of the "Original host to the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk.”
Aste Bolaffi, June 17-18: Galileo Galilei. Dialogo sopra i due massimi sistemi del mondo tolemaico, e copernicano. Firenze, 1632
Aste Bolaffi, June 17-18: Saverio Manetti. Storia naturale degli uccelli. Firenze, 1771-76
Aste Bolaffi, June 17-18: Fortunato Depero. Depero futurista. Rovereto, 1927
Aste Bolaffi, June 17-18: Nicolas Visscher. Atlas minor sive totius orbis terrarum contracta delineat ex conatibus. Amsterdam, circa 1649-95
Aste Bolaffi, June 17-18: Andreas Vesalius. Anatomia. Addita nunc. Antiquorum Anatome. Venezia, 1604
Aste Bolaffi, June 17-18: Tristan Tzara and Salvador Dalì. Grains et Issues. Parigi, 1935
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.
