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Fonsie Mealy Auctioneers: Rare Books, Manuscripts & Collectors' Sale

Auction Reports


Auction Name	Rare Books, Manuscripts & Collectors' Sale	Total Sales (EUR)	560,050.00
Auction Date	October 01, 2025 - October 02, 2025	Low Estimate of Lots Sold (EUR)	277,320.00
Sale Number	#100125	High Estimate of Lots Sold (EUR)	384,970.00
Total Lots	1222
Sold Lots	883.0	Low Estimate of All Lots (EUR)	470,280.00
% of Lots Sold	72.26%	High Estimate of All Lots (EUR)	666,996.00
Unsold Lots	339	Total Sales as a % of High Est.	83.97%

Top twenty-five by sale price

Lot Number	Author Name	Book Title	Year Published	Estimate	Actual Price
513	Ceating (Dochtuir)	Important 18th Century Gaelic Scribal Manuscript [Keating, Dr. Geoffrey]	M.DCC, LXXIII [1773]	EUR 15,000.00 - 20,000.00	EUR 43,750.00
889	Heaney (Seamus)	Remembering Malibu, A collection of his working papers for this major poem	-1984	EUR 3,500.00 - 5,000.00	EUR 22,500.00
1208		The Earliest Extent All-Ireland Programme	1913	EUR 2,000.00 - 3,000.00	EUR 13,750.00
1144		Rare Match Ticket for Bloody Sunday	1920	EUR 3,000.00 - 4,000.00	EUR 11,250.00
904		[SINN FEIN BANK] 1908-1924 and associated concerns, and other concerns		EUR 6,000.00 - 8,000.00	EUR 9,375.00
765	Boazio (Baptista)	Rare First State Boazio Map of Ireland Irish Map: autore Irlandiae Accurata Descriptio	c. 1599	EUR 3,500.00 - 5,000.00	EUR 7,500.00
1197		1924 All-Ireland Hurling Series Winners Medals	1924	EUR 3,000.00 - 4,000.00	EUR 7,500.00
124	Neville (Arthur)	Rare Manuscript Atlas of Dublin Dublin interest: City Surveyor. Book of Maps to show the Jurisdiction of the Lord Mayor, or the Boundary Line which divides the City from the County of Dublin, as established by Law and Copied...	1829	EUR 1,500.00 - 2,000.00	EUR 6,500.00
644	O'Brien (Flann)	Rare Modern Irish Masterpiece At Swim-Two-Birds	1939	EUR 3,000.00 - 4,000.00	EUR 5,875.00
690	Donovan (Edward)	With Attractive Hand Coloured Plates [Natural History] The Natural History of British Birds	1794-1819	EUR 3,000.00 - 4,000.00	EUR 5,375.00
84		Original Ordnance Survey The Tottenham Copy Co. Wexford: Townland Survey of the County of Wexford	1841-1842	EUR 1,200.00 - 1,600.00	EUR 5,250.00
688	Newton (Sir Isaac)	Scarce Newton Masterpiece Opticks : or, A Treatise of the Reflections, Refractions, Inflections and Colours of Light	1718	EUR 3,000.00 - 4,000.00	EUR 5,000.00
885	Heaney (Seamus)	An important and comprehensive collection of about 35 mostly autograph Signed Letters, Notes and Cards from Heaney to a wide range of associates and correspondents, 1979-2000 approx		EUR 4,000.00 - 5,000.00	EUR 5,000.00
888	Heaney (Seamus)	Alphabets, Typescript	1984	EUR 1,500.00 - 1,800.00	EUR 4,500.00
973	Donovan (Edward)	With Fine Hand Coloured Plates [Natural History] The Natural History of British Insects		EUR 3,000.00 - 4,000.00	EUR 4,000.00
533		Iconic photographs of the Titanic by official photographer, with his Manuscript Notes		EUR 800.00 - 1,200.00	EUR 3,750.00
1079		Gold Coin: A Venezuela gold Medal 1967 'Cuatricentarario de Caracas,' 21ct gold, approx		EUR 1,500.00 - 1,800.00	EUR 3,625.00
527		Small Stone with Arabic inscription Elliptical Jade Stone		EUR 200.00 - 300.00	EUR 3,375.00
887	Heaney (Seamus)	From Five Derry Glosses	dated September 1989	EUR 1,000.00 - 1,500.00	EUR 3,250.00
196	Tenore (V.) & Pasquale (G.A.)	With Fine Hand-Coloured Plates Atlante di Botanica Popolare, ossia Illustrazione di Piante Notevoli di Ogni Famiglia	1872-76	EUR 2,000.00 - 3,000.00	EUR 3,125.00
396	Heaney (Seamus)	Alphabeta, [translated by Stratis Haviaris and Manolis Savidis]. An impressive volume printed entirely in Greek	2000	EUR 1,500.00 - 2,000.00	EUR 2,875.00
608		American Civil War Bindings: National Historical Society - The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies	1972	EUR 2,500.00 - 4,000.00	EUR 2,812.50
322	Heaney (Seamus)	Death of a Naturalist	1966	EUR 1,000.00 - 1,500.00	EUR 2,750.00
292	Joyce (James)	A Joyce Masterpiece Dubliners	1914	EUR 800.00 - 1,200.00	EUR 2,625.00
135	K'eogh (John)	Rare Irish Provincial Printed 18th Century Herbal Botanalogia Universalis Hibernica, or, A General Irish Herbal, Calculated for this Kingdom...	1735	EUR 1,500.00 - 2,000.00	EUR 2,500.00

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Swann
Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books
December 9, 2025

Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 156: Cornelis de Jode, Americae pars Borealis, double-page engraved map of North America, Antwerp, 1593.

Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 206: John and Alexander Walker, Map of the United States, London and Liverpool, 1827.

Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 223: Abraham Ortelius, Typus Orbis Terrarum, hand-colored double-page engraved world map, Antwerp, 1575.

Swann
Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books
December 9, 2025

Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 233: Aaron Arrowsmith, Chart of the World, oversize engraved map on 8 sheets, London, 1790 (circa 1800).

Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 239: Fielding Lucas, A General Atlas, 81 engraved maps and diagrams, Baltimore, 1823.

Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 240: Anthony Finley, A New American Atlas, 15 maps engraved by james hamilton young on 14 double-page sheets, Philadelphia, 1826.

Swann
Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books
December 9, 2025

Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 263: John Bachmann, Panorama of the Seat of War, portfolio of 4 double-page chromolithographed panoramic maps, New York, 1861.

Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 265: Sebastian Münster, Cosmographei, Basel: Sebastian Henricpetri, 1558.

Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 271: Abraham Ortelius, Epitome Theatri Orteliani, Antwerp: Johann Baptist Vrients, 1601.

Swann
Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books
December 9, 2025

Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 283: Joris van Spilbergen, Speculum Orientalis Occidentalisque Indiae, Leiden: Nicolaus van Geelkercken for Jodocus Hondius, 1619.

Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 285: Levinus Hulsius, Achtzehender Theil der Newen Welt, 14 engraved folding maps, Frankfurt: Johann Frederick Weiss, 1623.

Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 341: John James Audubon, Carolina Parrot, Plate 26, London, 1827.
SD Scandinavian Art & Rare Book Auctions
The Odfjell Collection
Polar – History – Ornithology – Colour Plate Books
Ending December 4th

Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: ROALD AMUNDSEN: «Sydpolen» [ The South Pole] 1912. First edition in jackets and publisher's slip case.

Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: AMUNDSEN & NANSEN: «Fram over Polhavet» [Farthest North] 1897. AMUNDSEN's COPY!

Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: ERNEST SHACKLETON [ed.]: «Aurora Australis» 1908. First edition. The NORWAY COPY.

Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: ERNEST SHACKLETON: «The heart of the Antarctic» + SUPPLEMENT «The Antarctic Book», 1909.

Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: SHACKLETON, BERNACCHI, CHERRY-GARRARD [ed.]: «The South Polar Times» I-III, 1902-1911.

SD Scandinavian Art & Rare Book Auctions
The Odfjell Collection
Polar – History – Ornithology – Colour Plate Books
Ending December 4th

Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: [WILLEM BARENTSZ & HENRY HUDSON] - SAEGHMAN: «Verhael van de vier eerste schip-vaerden […]», 1663.

Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: TERRA NOVA EXPEDITION | LIEUTENANT HENRY ROBERTSON BOWERS: «At the South Pole.», Gelatin Silver Print. [10¾ x 15in. (27.2 x 38.1cm.) ].

Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: ELEAZAR ALBIN: «A natural History of Birds.» + «A Supplement», 1738-40. Wonderful coloured plates.

Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: PAUL GAIMARD: «Voyage de la Commision scientific du Nord, en Scandinavie, […]», c. 1842-46. ONLY HAND COLOURED COPY KNOWN WITH TWO ORIGINAL PAINTINGS BY BIARD.

Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: JAMES JOYCE: «Ulysses», 1922. FIRST EDITION IN ORIGINAL WRAPPERS.
Sotheby’s
Book Week
December 9-17, 2025

Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society, Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.

Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, 1997, first edition, hardback issue, inscribed by the author pre-publication. £100,000 to £150,000.

Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Autograph sketchleaf including a probable draft for the E flat Piano Quartet, K.493, 1786. £150,000 to £200,000.

Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Hooke, Robert. Micrographia: or some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies made by Magnifying Glasses. London: James Allestry for the Royal Society, 1667. $12,000 to $15,000.

Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Chappuzeau, Samuel. The history of jewels, first edition in English. London: T.N. for Hobart Kemp, 1671. $12,000 to $18,000.

Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Sowerby, James. Exotic Mineralogy, containing his most realistic mineral depictions, London: Benjamin Meredith, 1811, Arding and Merrett, 1817. $5,000 to $7,000.