THE WEEK THAT WAS AT THE AUCTIONS ending Jan. 23, 2026

By Hammer Price

Free Link  https://www.rarebookhub.com/auction_updates/1054

(Note to reader: The summary link above is FREE, the additional links below will function only for RBH subscribers. A reminder to subscribers: LOG IN to your account to use links. Results priced in $ £ €)

For the week ended Jan. 23, 2026 there were 57 auctions archived to Rare Book Hub’s database. 

Turnover was $12,728,354 of which more than $9 million came from the Heritage US currency signature auction on Jan. 16.For the week the average lot brought $1,371. There were 12,054 lots offered; of these 9,279 found new homes. This week 76.98% of all lots offered were sold.

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Heritage dominated the RBH top 25, taking every single spot; and it did well with a variety of other auctions too, including sports and other trading cards, comics, paper money and other currency items, animation and pulps. Virtually all the Heritage Auctions saw substantial sell through rates.

Heritage Auctions. FUN U.S. Currency Signature Auction on January 16th: $9,120,801

SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK

1. The top selling item for the week ending Jan. 23 was at Heritage on Jan 16. It was a 1934 Federal Reserve Note with $10,000 face value. It sold for $317,200.

Heritage Auctions Fr. 2231-A $10,000 1934 Federal Reserve Note. PMG Choice Uncirculated 63. on January 16th Actual price: USD $317,200.

Fr. 2231-A $10,000 1934 Federal Reserve Note. PMG Choice Uncirculated 63. Shrouded from the view of the numismatic community for many decades, this  $10,000 Boston FRN presents itself as a new addition to the Track & Price Census. T&P placed the number of currently known surviving representatives for Fr. 2231-A at just 17 examples prior to now, and this treasure brings the total up to 18.

https://www.rarebookhub.com/auction_lot_books/9457899?key=3514a4492050a99dedc331a0ad59d395007e6350

2. Claude Monet 1920 signed letter on Giverny letterhead sold for €33,800 ($39,659) at International Autograph Auctions Europe SL (Spain)  Jan 21- Jan 22.

Artist Claude Monet (1840-1926) politely refuses a visitor while working on his monumental Water Lilies paintings as ' The slightest disturbance is always detrimental to my work '

French Impressionist painter. A.L.S., Claude Monet, two pages (written to the first and third sides of the bifolium), 8vo, Giverny par Vernon, Eure, 16th August 1920, to a Doctor, in French. Monet writes in bold pencil and states, in full, 'Vous m'en voyez désolé mais je suis en ce moment en plein travail et ne reçois personne, le moindre dérangement est toujours funeste à mon travail. Vous voudrez m'excuser auprès de votre ami. Avec tous mes regrets, recevez l'expression de mes sentiments distingués' 

(Translation: 'I am very sorry, but I am currently hard at work and cannot receive visitors. The slightest disturbance is always detrimental to my work. Please convey my apologies to your friend. With my deepest regrets, I remain sincerely yours'). 

The work from which Monet did not want to be distracted in the summer of 1920 was his Grand Decorations, the monumental paintings of Water Lilies…. the paintings which would be donated to the Musee de l'Orangerie in 1922. Lot 619

https://www.rarebookhub.com/auction_lot_books/9484007?key=b2a90ec2aceac6e4724ae983c21eeb1129357c69

3. L. Frank Baum’s The Army  Alphabet and the Navy Alphabet (1900) sold at Pacific Book Auction on Jan. 22 for $28,125. High presale estimate was $1,500

L. Frank Baum (of Oz fame) wrote the verses for The Army and the Navy Alphabet, 1900, George Hill, Chicago. Jacket worn and chipped, with tape repairs; varying wear and staining to boards; hinges cracked, pages slightly toned, occasional marginal smudges; good. 

These were illustrated by Harry Kennedy to teach the alphabet, with each letter representing a military or naval term.

https://www.rarebookhub.com/auction_lot_books/9467303?key=aae7139e35f22744f68bd1debffd8b609a45995c

4. 1908 ES Curtis 12 large framed photogravures sold for $11,970 at Doyles on Jan. 21 in the Jane Hitchcock Collection sale (Lot 41).

CURTIS, EDWARD SHERIFF

Group of twelve large-format photogravures extracted from the portfolio volumes of The North American Indian. Cambridge: University Press of Cambridge, Mass., and Plimpton Press, Norwood, Mass, 1908. Some minor paper toning, generally in excellent condition. Framed. Most with The Old Print Shop labels on verso. Images from Portfolio III (1908) of The North American Indian, including plate 76 The Medicine-Man; plate 79 Sioux Chiefs; plate 80 An Oasis in the Badlands; plate 87 High Hawk; plate 90 Hu Kalowa Pi Ceremony; plate 91; Prayer to the Mystery; plate 100 A Heavy Load - Sioux; plate 101 Black Eagle - Assiniboin; plate 107 An Assiniboin Camp; plate 109 Invocation---Sioux; plate 110 The Mountain-Sheep Hunter---Sioux; plate 119 In the Badlands. A portion of the frame has been cropped out of the photo.

https://www.rarebookhub.com/auction_lot_books/9484268?key=d660dda1150dcd631512122fe1a95eb37e414003

5. Ireland 1916 Easter Uprising: remnants of a flag from St. Stephens Green, Dublin with cursive copy of famous Red Flag poem and faded typescript of another unidentified poem sold at Purcell Auctioneers (Ireland)  for €4,250 ($4,972) on Jan 21.

Irish Republicanism: Remnant of flag from Republican Red Cross dressing Station- St Stephens Green, Easter 1916. With a cursive copy of the revolutionary poem, The Red Flag. Both acquired from T J Hurley. TJ Hurley was closely connected to Austin Stack and Constance Markievicz and other notables from the revolutionary period. His library spans the social history of modern Ireland, especially events leading to the formation of the Irish Free State. 

Wiki for the Red Flag by Jim Connell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Red_Flag

Wiki for Easter Rising Ireland 1916 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Rising

https://www.rarebookhub.com/auction_lot_books/9486837?key=0ddbfcabd35c370bb8419af62890033a47e40cf5

6. Signed Andrew Wyeth 1969 book by Richard Merryman sold for $4,440 at Leland Little on Jan 20.

Limited Edition Andrew Wyeth Book, Signed by the Artist

Richard Meryman; Andrew Wyeth. ANDREW WYETH. Boston: Gambit, Incorporated, 1969. No. 121 out of 300 numbered and signed copies; signed by Andrew Wyeth on the rear limitation. Publisher's light blue quarter suede over tan linen-covered boards, upper board with blue suede rectangular gilt-stamped ("AW") label, spine lettered in gilt, with pictorial endpapers, all edges gilt, and white ribbon bookmark; in matching light blue cloth clamshell box. Large oblong folio; ix, [1], 194, [4]pp. Profusely illustrated with reproductions of Wyeth's paintings, drawings, and letters. Book 13 3/8 x 17 1/2 in.; In box 15 x 18 3/4 in.

With the typical mild discoloration to the suede, minor wear to gilt edges, and occasional light mark or spot of grime to interior; box sturdy with some visible wear. A spectacular book featuring Wyeth's work in both Maine and Pennsylvania; very good to near fine in a very good box. 

https://www.rarebookhub.com/auction_lot_books/9487182?key=03f8f358be479ffce0d7d4b03f0bf39bfa03f649

7. ANTIQUE MAP Blaeu Map of the World Amsterdam 1641-1649 sold at Trillium on Jan. 17 for $9,148.

This map is the fourth state of Willem Janszoon Blaeu's map of the world entitled Nova Totius Terrarum Orbis Geographica ac Hydrographica Tabula. The map was published between 1641 and 1649 in Amsterdam.

The border work is supremely decorative. It features allegorical representations of the sun, moon, and 5 planets at the upper border. At the lower border are vignettes of the seven wonders of the world. And to the left and right borders, the four elements and four seasons are represented. The map includes the elongated coast of NW America and South America leading to the "southern continent".

Willem Janszoon Blaeu (1571-1638), Jan's father, founded the famous Blaeu cartographic firm in Amsterdam. He studied astronomy and science under Tycho Brahe. He established a globe and instrument making business in 1599 which soon expanded into cartography publishing. It became one of the most important publishing firms in the world that was also later run by his sons Cornelis and Jan. Their maps are noted for their fine engraving process, coloring, and design and are often referred to as "the highest expression of Dutch cartographical art." He also served as the official cartographer for the Dutch East India Company in 1630.

Joan (Johannes) Blaeu (1596-1673) began the publication of the Nuevo Atlas in 1659 and would eventually change the title to Atlas Mayor. It was to be his most famous atlas, and was meant to include up to 13 volumes, but only 10 volumes were ever completed as his printing house was destroyed by fire. He was also noted for the publication of the atlas Theatrum orbis Terrarum.

Provenance: Coat-of-arms bookplate of the Austrian-Bohemian noble family von Harrach

22 1/2" by 17 3/4" (Fold Out)

There is no photo with the RBH database record. See a slide of the map at Trillium (Lot 6587)

https://auctions.trilliumrareprints.com/auction/334-antique-prints-maps/lot-6857-blaeu-map/

https://www.rarebookhub.com/auction_lot_books/9475039?key=f33cf5d7c397a030fe5e0088e0fe189cf87864cf

8. A 1998 photo by Cristina Garcia Rodero titled Under the Rain, Georgia sold at Setdart (Spain) for €5,796 ($6,780) on Jan. 20.

CRISTINA GARCIA RODERO (Puertollano, Ciudad Real, 1949).

"Under the rain, Georgia" 1998. Photograph b/w, copy 5/7. Signed, titled and dated on the back.

Juana de Aizpuru Gallery label. Measurements: 53 x 81 cm; 86, 5 x 114 cm (frame).

Cristina Garcia Rodero is a Member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando and the first person of Spanish nationality to join the prestigious Magnum Agency. 

She is the first woman to be named Doctor Honoris Causa at the University of Castilla-La Mancha (November 14, 2018). She has held numerous exhibitions, both solo and group, in different countries.

Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristina_Garc%C3%ADa_Rodero

https://www.rarebookhub.com/auction_lot_books/9482401?key=a51712101035fa0e2371f530f495b60f4a12cd02

9. A lot of 18 Margaret Armstrong bindings sold Jan. 20 at New England Book auction for $840.

Group of 18 Margaret Armstrong Bindings. Idylls of the King. Illustrated by Gustav Dore. * The Unknown Quantity by Henry Van Dyke. * The Descendant. * The Golden Key by Henry Van Dyke. * The Rossettis by Elisabeth Luther Cary. * The Spinster Book by Myrtle Reed. * The Yoke by Elizabeth Miller. * Etc.

See more detailed photos of the books in this lot at auction house site

https://www.nebookauctions.com/auction/fine-books-ephemera-list-58-313/item/armstrong-margaret-44185/#lg=1&slide=0

https://www.rarebookhub.com/auction_lot_books/9481917?key=a4666ded528d84944fcb8f4c3b8afbcf74396323

10. (Colombia) Top seller at Bogota Auctions Jan. 20th sale was the original 1808 Caldas Memorial Manuscript. It went for Columbian Pesos 43,200,000 ($11,750). 

This manuscript was considered lost for 175 years before resurfacing in 2026 at auction.

Text of catalog notes translated by AI from Spanish to English

Francisco Jose de Caldas, Manuscript original of the Caldas memorial,1808, Bogota: 31.5 x 22.5 cm. "Sor. Secretary of the Viceroyalty, judge communicated for the affairs of the Botanica Expedition in Santa Fe" is the document traditionally known as "Memorial de Caldas". In the, Francisco Jose de Caldas gathers his observations and claims derived from his scientific work between 1802 and 1806, during the explorations carried out from the Eastern Mountains and the central area of present-day Colombia to the south of Ecuador, within the framework of the Royal Botanica Expedition of the New Kingdom of Granada.

 The text reflects his firm commitment to scientific research, as well as his growing disagreement with Jose Celestino Mutis, whom he accuses of underestimating his work and granting unjustified credit to his nephew Sinforoso Mutis. It comes from the private archive of the Pombo family by direct descent to the current owner. Very good general condition. Booklet of 10 pages sewn without binding. There is no evidence of stamps, author marks or registration numbers. It has several minor conservation defects (humidity spots, oxidations, missing in the last page). 

This was an interesting sale mainly of material related to Columbia

Direct free link Bogota Auction https://www.bogotaauctions.com/en/subasta/libros-documentos-y-grabados-antiguos_2685-001?oldpage=&oldlot=&order=&total=48&historic=&description=&reference=&category=

https://www.rarebookhub.com/auction_lot_books/9451482?key=a00d375419f516a75efabf27d068513236c02f19 

SELECTED UPCOMING AUCTIONS

Wed. Jan. 28th
Dominic Winter Book Auctions. Gloucestershire. Printed Books, Maps & Documents, Travel & Ornithology, Music & Theatre, Ex-Libris. 428 lots
 Catawiki B. V.. LA Assen, . Autographs and Manuscripts. 170 lots
 Catawiki B. V.. LA Assen, . Old and Rare Books (pre-1700). 31 lots
 Stair Auctioneers and Appraisers. Hudson. The Antiquarians: The Collection of Susan and Alan Miller. 12 lots
Tessier & Sarrou and Associates. Paris. Online Sale: Movie Posters. 600 lots

 Thu. Jan. 29th
 Forum Auctions. London. Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper. 263 lots
 Desa Unicum. Warszawa. Contemporary and Graphic Art. 130 lots
 Freeman's | Hindman. Philadelphia. Printed and Manuscript Americana. 153 lots
 Morton Subastas. México DF CP 11000. Antiques and Books Auction - From past segments into a new year. 55 lots
 Swann Galleries. New York. The Artists of the WPA. 302 lots
 Potter and Potter Auctions. Chicago. Online Only Fine Books Sale. 584 lots
 RR Auction. Amherst. Steve Jobs & the Computer Revolution: The Apple 50th Anniversary Auction. 65 lots 
 
 Fri. Jan. 30th
 Leland Little Auctions. Hillsborough, NC. Prints and Photographs. 95 lots
 Rago Arts and Auctions. Van Nuys, CA. Shepard Fairey Unlimited.
 Duke's. Dorchester. Modern Art. 75 lots
 Catawiki B. V.. LA Assen, . Old and Rare Books (pre-1700). 44 lots
 Tessier & Sarrou and Associates. Paris. Online Sale: Books and Paper. 224 lots

 Sat. Jan. 31st
 Chiswick Auctions. London. Autographs & Memorabilia.
 Trillium Antique Prints & Rare Books. Franklin. Fine Art - Antique Engravings & Lithographs - Works on Paper. 150 lots
 Vogt Auction. San Antonio. The Texas Ranch Auction. 143 lots
 Catawiki B. V.. LA Assen, . Exclusive Maps Auction. 20 lots

 Sun. Feb. 1st
 Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Sunday Movie Posters Select Auction.
 Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Pulp Magazine Select Auction.
 Saskatchewan Network for Art Collecting. Regina. Canadian and International Prints and Photography. 307 lots
 Antikvariat Bryggen AS. Skjeberg. The Odfjell Auctions Online 3 | Nynorsk Literature. 169 lots
 Catawiki B. V.. LA Assen, . Photography Books Auction. 27 lots
 Sydney Rare Book Auctions. Ultimo. Books on Mining, Geology, Medicine, History, Military And More.

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