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Auction Update Review

M-Rare Book Hub: 115 Auctions Archived, another 82 Upcoming this Week

For the week ended 12 December, 115 auctions have been archived to Rare Book Hub’s Transactions+: 1 denominated in Australian dollars, 1 in Canadian dollars, 28 in euros, 25 in British pounds, 1 in Mexican pesos, 1 in New Zealand dollars, 5 in Polish zloty, 3 in Swedish krona, and 50 in US dollars.

 

 

Turnover was $46,933,926.15. The average lot brought $3,046.47. 81.79 percent of this past week’s lots sold as 18,836 lots were offered, and 15,406 found new homes.

 

 

This report includes this past week’s Top 25s for 14 categories, full details for this past week’s sales, as well as a complete listing of the upcoming week’s 82 sales.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Start by clicking on the tabs for the top 25s. They are live! 

 

 

 

 

 

Best wishes for a good week and the holiday season!

 

 

 

 

Bruce McKinney

Rare Book Hub

 

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Top 25 Lots Reported This Past Week.
  1. Heritage Auctions Star Wars: Episode IV -- A New Hope (TCF, 1977), Historic Half Sheet Key Poster Artwork by Tom Jung. on December 10th Actual price: USD $3,875,000.
  2. Christies Exercitatio anatomica de motu cordis et sanguinis in animalibus. on December 10th Actual price: USD $1,356,668.
  3. Sothebys Historia naturalis. Ed: Johannes Andreas, bishop of Aleria. on December 9th Actual price: USD $1,270,000.
  4. Christies Gospels on December 10th Actual price: USD $1,187,084.
  5. Sothebys Opera [Greek]. Contains also works of Galenus (II); Philo Judaeus (II); Theophrastus (II-IV); Alexander Aphrodisaeus (IV). on December 9th Actual price: USD $660,400.
  6. Sothebys Los Caprichos (Delteil 38-117; Harris 26-115) on December 5th Actual price: USD $473,235.
  7. Sothebys Lapidarius. Quomodo virtutes pretiosorum lapidum augmentantur. Physiognomia. on December 9th Actual price: USD $381,000.
  8. Sothebys The Hundred Guilder Print (B., Holl. 74; New Holl. 239) on December 5th Actual price: USD $371,827.
  9. Sothebys Historia naturalis [Italian] (Tr: Christophorus Landinus). on December 9th Actual price: USD $355,600.
  10. Sothebys Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. London on December 11th Actual price: USD $340,252.
  11. Christies Polychronicon on December 10th Actual price: USD $322,209.
  12. Sothebys On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties; and on the Perpetuation of Varieties and Species by Natural Means of Selection [1858-59] on December 11th Actual price: USD $306,228.
  13. Sothebys Biblia Latina, a bifolium printed on vellum from the Gutenberg or 42-line Bible. on December 11th Actual price: USD $289,214.
  14. Lyon and Turnbull A MAMLUK MANUSCRIPT OF IBN AKHI HIZAM'S 'KITAB AL-BAYTARAH' ('BOOK OF HIPPIATRICS' OR HORSE MEDICINE) on December 10th Actual price: USD $252,372.
  15. Sothebys Autograph sketchleaf including a probable draft for the finale of the Piano Quartet in E flat, K.493, FORMERLY IN THE COLLECTION OF PAUL HIRSCH on December 11th Actual price: USD $238,176.
  16. Rago Arts and Auctions The Little Screens on December 11th Actual price: USD $228,600.
  17. Christies Series of 18 autograph letters signed ('E. Jenner' on December 10th Actual price: USD $220,459.
  18. Heritage Auctions Malaya and British Borneo Board of Commissioners of Currency 1000 Dollars 21.3.1953 Pick 6a B106 KNB6a PMG About Uncirculated 50 EPQ. on December 9th Actual price: USD $204,000.
  19. Christies Ob usum experientiamque multiplicem on December 10th Actual price: USD $186,542.
  20. Christies Book of Hours on December 10th Actual price: USD $186,542.
  21. Sothebys Elementa geometriae (Latin, translated by Adelard of Bath, edited and with commentary by Campanus of Novara). on December 9th Actual price: USD $177,800.
  22. Christies The Birds of New Guinea and the adjacent Papuan Islands on December 10th Actual price: USD $169,583.
  23. Christies The Cromer Book of Hours on December 10th Actual price: USD $169,583.
  24. Tessier & Sarrou and Associates Asterix - Planche ndeg5 on December 6th Actual price: USD $164,306.
  25. Christies On Computable Numbers: first edition on December 11th Actual price: USD $161,620.
  • <b>Bonhams, Dec. 8-18:</b> Autograph Letter Signed ("Martinus Luther") to His Friend the Theologian Gerhard Wiskamp ("Gerardo Xantho Lampadario"). $100,000 - $150,000. <b>Bonhams, Dec. 8-18:</b> An Exceptionally Fine Copy of Austenís Emma: A Novel in Three Volumes. $40,000 - $60,000. <b>Bonhams, Dec. 8-18:</b> Presentation Copy of Ernest Hemmingwayís A Farewell to Arms for Edward Titus of the Black Mankin Press. $30,000 - $50,000. <b>Bonhams, Dec. 8-18:</b> Autograph Manuscript Signed Integrally for "The Songs of Pooh," by Alan Alexander. $30,000 - $50,000. <b>Bonhams, Dec. 8-18:</b> Autograph Manuscript of "Three Fragments from Gˆtterd‰mmerung" by Richard Wagner. $30,000 - $50,000. <b>Bonhams, Dec. 8-18:</b> Original Preliminary Artwork, for the First Edition of Snow Crash. $20,000 - $30,000. <b>Bonhams, Dec. 8-18:</b> Autograph Letter Signed ("T.R. Malthus") to Economist Nassau Senior on Wealth, Labor and Adam Smith. $20,000 - $30,000. <b>Bonhams, Dec. 8-18:</b> History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides Finely Bound by Michael Wilcox. $20,000 - $30,000. <b>Bonhams, Dec. 8-18:</b> First Edition of Lewis and Clark: Travels to the Source of the Missouri River and Across the American Continent to the Pacific Ocean. $8,000 - $12,000. <b>Bonhams, Dec. 8-18:</b> Original Artwork for the First Edition of Neal Stephenson's Groundbreaking Novel Snow Crash. $100,000 - $150,000. <b>Bonhams, Dec. 8-18:</b> A Complete Set Signed Deluxe Editions of King's The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King. $8,000 - $12,000. <b>Bonhams, Dec. 8-18:</b> Autograph Letter Signed ("John Adams") to James Le Ray de Chaumont During the Crucial Years of the Revolutionary War. $8,000 - $12,000.
    Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("Martinus Luther") to His Friend the Theologian Gerhard Wiskamp ("Gerardo Xantho Lampadario"). $100,000 - $150,000.
    Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: An Exceptionally Fine Copy of Austenís Emma: A Novel in Three Volumes. $40,000 - $60,000.
    Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Presentation Copy of Ernest Hemmingwayís A Farewell to Arms for Edward Titus of the Black Mankin Press. $30,000 - $50,000.
    Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Manuscript Signed Integrally for "The Songs of Pooh," by Alan Alexander. $30,000 - $50,000.
    Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Manuscript of "Three Fragments from Gˆtterd‰mmerung" by Richard Wagner. $30,000 - $50,000.
    Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Original Preliminary Artwork, for the First Edition of Snow Crash. $20,000 - $30,000.
    Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("T.R. Malthus") to Economist Nassau Senior on Wealth, Labor and Adam Smith. $20,000 - $30,000.
    Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides Finely Bound by Michael Wilcox. $20,000 - $30,000.
    Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: First Edition of Lewis and Clark: Travels to the Source of the Missouri River and Across the American Continent to the Pacific Ocean. $8,000 - $12,000.
    Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Original Artwork for the First Edition of Neal Stephenson's Groundbreaking Novel Snow Crash. $100,000 - $150,000.
    Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: A Complete Set Signed Deluxe Editions of King's The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King. $8,000 - $12,000.
    Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("John Adams") to James Le Ray de Chaumont During the Crucial Years of the Revolutionary War. $8,000 - $12,000.
  • <center><b>Sotheby’s<br>Book Week<br>December 9-17, 2025</b></center> <b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 17:</b> Francesco Colonna. <i>Hypnerotomachie,</i> Paris, 1546, Parisian calf by Wotton Binder C for Marcus Fugger. €200,000 to €300,000. <b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 17:</b> Nausea. <i>De principiis dialectices Gorgias,</i> and other works, Venice, 1523, morocco gilt for Cardinal Campeggio. €3,000 to €4,000. <b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 17:</b> Billon. <i>Le fort inexpugnable de l'honneur,</i> Paris, 1555, Parisian calf gilt for Peter Ernst, Graf von Mansfeld. €120,000 to €180,000. <center><b>Sotheby’s<br>Book Week<br>December 9-17, 2025</b></center> <b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 16:</b> Salinger, J.D. The Graham Family archive, including autographed letters, an inscribed Catcher, a rare studio photograph of the author, and more. $120,000 to $180,000. <b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 16:</b> [Austen, Jane]. A handsome first edition of <i>Sense and Sensibility,</i> the author's first novel. $60,000 to $80,000. <b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 16:</b> Massachusetts General Court. A powerful precursor to the Declaration of Independence: "every Act of Government … without the Consent of the People, is … Tyranny." $40,000 to $60,000.
    Sotheby’s
    Book Week
    December 9-17, 2025
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 17: Francesco Colonna. Hypnerotomachie, Paris, 1546, Parisian calf by Wotton Binder C for Marcus Fugger. €200,000 to €300,000.
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 17: Nausea. De principiis dialectices Gorgias, and other works, Venice, 1523, morocco gilt for Cardinal Campeggio. €3,000 to €4,000.
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 17: Billon. Le fort inexpugnable de l'honneur, Paris, 1555, Parisian calf gilt for Peter Ernst, Graf von Mansfeld. €120,000 to €180,000.
    Sotheby’s
    Book Week
    December 9-17, 2025
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 16: Salinger, J.D. The Graham Family archive, including autographed letters, an inscribed Catcher, a rare studio photograph of the author, and more. $120,000 to $180,000.
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 16: [Austen, Jane]. A handsome first edition of Sense and Sensibility, the author's first novel. $60,000 to $80,000.
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 16: Massachusetts General Court. A powerful precursor to the Declaration of Independence: "every Act of Government … without the Consent of the People, is … Tyranny." $40,000 to $60,000.
  • <b><center>Heritage Auctions<br>Rare Books Signature Auction<br>December 15, 2025</center></b> <b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> John Donne. <i>Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death.</i> London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633. <b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> Edgar Rice Burroughs. <i>Tarzan of the Apes.</i> <b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> F. Scott Fitzgerald. <i>Tender is the Night. A Romance.</i> <b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> Bram Stoker. <i>Dracula.</i> Westminster: Archibald Constable & Co., 1897. <b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> Jerry Thomas. <i>How to Mix Drinks, or the Bon-Vivant's Companion, Containing Clear and Reliable Directions for Mixing All the Beverages Used in the United States…</i>
    Heritage Auctions
    Rare Books Signature Auction
    December 15, 2025
    Heritage, Dec. 15: John Donne. Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death. London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.
    Heritage, Dec. 15: Edgar Rice Burroughs. Tarzan of the Apes.
    Heritage, Dec. 15: F. Scott Fitzgerald. Tender is the Night. A Romance.
    Heritage, Dec. 15: Bram Stoker. Dracula. Westminster: Archibald Constable & Co., 1897.
    Heritage, Dec. 15: Jerry Thomas. How to Mix Drinks, or the Bon-Vivant's Companion, Containing Clear and Reliable Directions for Mixing All the Beverages Used in the United States…
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