Kedem (Jerusalem) landed eight of RBH’s top 25 positions with their Incunable and First Editions | Illuminated Manuscripts and Esther Scrolls | Jewish Ceremonial Art auction on Feb. 24. Their #1 sale was Moreh Nevuchim by the Rambam -- Incunabulum -- Rome, Ca. 1473-1475. This is a first edition of a fundamental work of Jewish philosophy. One of the first Hebrew books to be printed, it sold for $1,250,000.By Hammer Price

Free link https://www.rarebookhub.com/auction_updates/1064

(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 Feb. 27, 2026 there were 112 auctions archived to Rare Book Hub’s database. 

Turnover was $22,920,110, up substantially from the prior week of $15.8M. The average lot brought $1,692. There were 16,333 lots offered; 13,541 found new homes. For the week 82.91%% of all lots offered were sold.

Six auctions saw their total proceeds reach a million dollars:

Kedem Auctions Ltd.. Incunable and First Editions | Illuminated Manuscripts and Esther Scrolls | Jewish Ceremonial Art on February 24th: $2,968,750

Heritage Auctions. Historical Manuscripts and Texana on February 26th: $2,501,339

Christies. Post-War to Present on February 26th: $2,414,016

Christies. Contemporary Editions: New York on February 26th: $2,066,163

Il Ponte. Antique Books and Libre Artistes on February 26th: $1,734,177

Rago Arts and Auctions. Prints and Multiples on February 26th: $1,191,340 

Another 29 auctions saw total sales exceed 100% of the high estimates of all lots offered in the sale. This group had a number of sales were of particular interest

Brunk Auctions. Americana featuring the Estate of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter on February 25th: 346.31%

Christies. Irene Roosevelt Aitken: The Library, Bedrooms and Objects of Vertu on February 23rd: 226.22%

Lyon and Turnbull. Books and Manuscripts on February 25th: 192.42%

This is an exceptionally interesting sale, if you have the time it’s worth it to look at the entire catalog.

The Book Merchant Jenkins. Books and Art on February 21st: 151.75%

Forum Auctions. Salvador Dalí: Master of the Surreal on February 25th: 148.04%

Il Ponte. Antique Books and Libre Artistes on February 26th: 145.79%

Crafoord Auktioner. Book Auction on February 22nd: 140.86%

New England Book Auctions. Fine Bindings Literature Illustrated, Including Selections from Austin Abey Rare Books on February 24th: 134.21%

Lay's Auctioneers. Rare Books and Works on Paper on February 26th: 122.92%

Forum Auctions. Online: Travel Books, Maps and Atlases on February 26th: 112.45%

Bonhams. Entertainment Memorabilia Featuring Gene Hackman on February 26th: 112.22%

Lesser sell-through, but some interesting material

Rago Arts and Auctions. Titans of Terror: Vintage Monster Movie Posters on February 24th: 100.00% 

Swann Galleries. Vintage Posters on February 26th: 76.38% 

PBA Galleries. PBA Platinum on February 26th: 50.43% 

HIGHLIGHTS

1. Also at Kedem (Israel) on Feb. 24., this 14th century Jewish decorated parchment manuscript sold for $475,000. 

Decorated Parchment Manuscript -- Ashkenazic-Rite Siddur -- With Passover Haggadah, Tractate Avot and Other Selections -- Rare Piyyutim -- Ashkenazic Lands, 14th Century. Thick volume. Ink on thin parchment leaves. Neat Ashkenazic script (square and semi-cursive, partially vocalized), in several hands. Several initial words enlarged and specially decorated. Some initial words decorated with frames, with some extending to the margins in geometrical and floral decorations, occasionally including illustrations of mythological beasts. Other initial words and lines of text in some places decorated with paint (alternating in black and red ink).

Illustrations of dragons, mythological beasts and hybrid creatures -- characteristic of medieval manuscripts -- appear next to some initial words. Multiple other large and significant illustrations

https://www.rarebookhub.com/auction_lot_books/9551609?key=99eeb6f83f3eac5399daa19b97e4ab6a163f179c

2. An illuminated manuscript, from the dowry of Ippolita Maria Sforza sold at Il Ponte (Italy) for €537,600 ($634,543), above the presale high estimate of  $412,000.

[MAESTRO DELLE VITAE IMPERATORUM - MAESTRO DI IPPOLITA SFORZA - TITO LIVIO (59 a.C - 17 d.C.)] - Ab Urbe Condita. Prima Decade. Manoscritto miniato su pergamena, meta XV secolo.

A finely illuminated manuscript, part of the dowry of Ippolita Maria Sforza.

The manuscript belongs within the context of the extraordinary humanistic education of Ippolita Maria Sforza, one of the most intellectual women of Renaissance Italy. Educated in Milan by leading scholars such as Baldo Martorelli and Costantino Lascaris, Ippolita received an education equal to that of her male siblings, grounded in the study of Latin, elements of Greek, and the reading of the classical authors. Alongside courtly skills, books lay at the very heart of her education and served as an essential instrument in shaping her political and cultural role.

In 1465, on the occasion of her marriage to Alfonso II of Aragon, Duke of Calabria, Ippolita brought with her to Naples a dowry composed not only of precious goods, but also of fourteen manuscripts of great value, carefully appraised in the dowry inventory. Most of these codices are now dispersed following the disintegration of the Aragonese library; the manuscript rediscovered here therefore constitutes a rare and precious witness to that original book collection. The economic valuation of the volumes included in the dowry - often equivalent to the price of a house or to years of wages, underscores both their material and symbolic wealth.

https://www.rarebookhub.com/auction_lot_books/9527984?key=2b7a738752716870ad06934ce178de5b46cff017

3. A  21 page 1869  letter from Indian fighter George Custer to his wife sold at Heritage on Feb. 26 for $550,000. The presale high estimate was $24,000.

George Custer Autograph Letter Signed. Twenty-one pages on five bifolia and one sheet, 7 3/4 x 9 3/4 inches, Fort Cobb, [Oklahoma]; January 2, 1869. 

A lengthy and highly personal letter from Custer to his wife, Elizabeth "Libbie" Custer, written a little over a month after the Battle of the Washita. In this extended missive, Custer describes the conclusion of the winter campaign on the southern plains, his role in council with Plains tribal leaders, his handling of captured Kiowa chiefs Satanta and Lone Wolf, and his growing reputation as an "Indian fighter," while also devoting considerable space to his marriage. 

Having just led the attack on Black Kettle's Cheyenne village in November 1868, Custer opens with a bold claim: “The Indian war is over. To make a long story short, like Alexander, who mourned because there were no other worlds for him to conquer, Genl Sheridan and your dear Bo can mourn (?) because there are no more hostile Indians to conquer.”

Although his victory at the Washita was decisive, Custer's tactics were controversial, particularly the surprise attack on a winter village and the use of noncombatants as "human shields." General Sheridan, who always showed a level of partiality toward Custer, nevertheless continued to rely on him and placed Custer at the center of the post-battle negotiations. Custer describes the ensuing talks in detail. The Heritage catalog notes transcribe significant portions of this lengthy letter.

https://www.rarebookhub.com/auction_lot_books/9514336?key=96722fa5f8d7486639dca8c39d49d6938c1644ba

4. Work by Diane Arbus continues to command exceptional prices. This 1962 ballroom dance photo sold at Christie's on Feb. 26 for $101,600.

DIANE ARBUS (1923--1971) The Junior Interstate Ballroom Dance Champions, Yonkers, NY, 1962, gelatin silver print, flush-mounted on board titled and dated in ink (verso); credited, titled and dated in pencil with affixed MoMA Art Lending Service label (flush mount, verso) image: 10 1/8 x 9 5/8 in. (25.7 x 24.4 cm.) sheet/flush mount: 14 x 11 in. (35.6 x 27.9 cm.) This work was printed by Diane Arbus. Museum of Modern Art, New York; acquired from the above by the present owner.The present lot is an extremely rare, lifetime print of the image and among only two lifetime prints to ever come to auction. 

https://www.rarebookhub.com/auction_lot_books/9548257?key=29f29af6c50ae2dfac060793ad7f8a9ea8a9a739

5.Eight  Canadian sketchbooks from the 1840s-50s by Sir James Alexander sold on Feb. 25 at Lyon and Turnbull (Scotland) (Lot 40) for £52,920 ($71,695), about 10x above presale high estimate of $6,700. This was our favorite auction of the week. Take a minute and look at the whole thing. Direct link to Lyon and Turnbull catalog below.

Alexander, Sir James Edward (1803-1885)

Sketchbooks of his travels in Canada, 1840s-50s, 8 albums, all oblong 12mo (various dimensions, approx. 7.5 x 15cm to 9.5 x 16cm), varicoloured leather bindings with brass clasps and catches, numbered in gilt on spines (1, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 13), illustrated throughout with sketches in various media (pen and ink, pencil and watercolour; mainly in pen and ink), approx. 650 leaves in total (with sketches to all rectos and frequently also to versos), detailed manuscript captions (often dated), subjects including: views of landscapes, settlements, and homesteads in Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, 'Canada West' (i.e. Ontario), New York and elsewhere; portraits of Indigenous peoples, soldiers and sailors, local characters and figures of note; depictions of daily life, social occasions, expeditions and excursions, comic mishaps, etc., in civil and military contexts; sketch maps; and more.

See Lyon and Turnbull photos for these sketch books by General Sir James Alexander

https://www.lyonandturnbull.com/auctions/books-and-manuscripts-884/lot/40

See the complete catalog for this auction consisting of 254 lots. https://www.lyonandturnbull.com/auctions/books-and-manuscripts-884

https://www.rarebookhub.com/auction_lot_books/9548851?key=06f8db81a6e73afe4c20b92fc3a414ec5900425a

6. Observations on the Volcanos of the two Sicilies (1776) sold at Il Ponte (Italy) on Feb. 25 for €38,400 ($45,324).

HAMILTON, Sir William (1730-1803) - Campi Phlegraei. Observations on the Volcanos of the two Sicilies as They have been communicated to the Royal Society of Londra. [LEGATO CON:] - Supplement to the Campi Phlegraei. Naples: [Pietro Fabris], 1776, 1779.

First edition of Sir William Hamilton's masterpiece illustrated by magnificent plates in splendid handcolouring and considered one of the most beautiful books of the eighteenth century.

Campi Flegrei indicates the vast area around Naples, still characterized today, but since ancient times, by lively and sometimes intense volcanic activity. The work is mainly dedicated to the Vesuvius and its spectacular eruptions, but also to some of the places surrounding it; some of the plates and descriptions are also dedicated to other volcanoes in southern Italy, in particular the Sicilian ones in the Aeolian Islands and Etna. Hamilton directly supervised the work of the illustrator Fabris, who accompanied him on his excursions and who is in fact portrayed together with Hamilton in many of the plates.

In addition to being magnificent from an aesthetic point of view, the work is also considered fundamental in the field of geophysical and volcanological research. The subjects of the plates, in addition to spectacular views, also includes scientific details such as the numerous images dedicated to the craters and lava stratifications on Vesuvius and other volcanoes; 

https://www.rarebookhub.com/auction_lot_books/9527913?key=fcf1a80b2cc6e1f7ff981bda7f063b7222b20023

7. History of New South Wales [with] An Account of a Voyage 1802-3 sold at The Book Merchant Jenkins (Australia) on Feb 21 for Australian $1,098.00 (US $776) 

The History of New South Wales including Botany Bay, Port Jackson, Parramatta, Sydney, and all its Dependancies, from the Original Discovery of the Island; with the Customs and Manners of the Natives; and an account of The English Colony from its Foundation to the Present Time, by George Barrington. London: M. Jones, 1802.

21.5cm x 13cm. [40], 505 pages, engraved hand-coloured title, 11 (of 13) hand-coloured plates, 1 full page black and white illustration within the pagination. 

https://www.rarebookhub.com/auction_lot_books/9541742?key=d1643be8e0f5c341effa030e2d04a51867fc8454

8. Prices continue strong for the bindings of  Margaret Armstrong. A 1903 book with her peacock inspired binding sold at New England Book Auction on Feb 24 for $900 or about 9x the high presale estimate.

Millionaire Households by Mary E. Carter. 8vo, Notable for decorated binding by Margaret Armstrong, top-edge gilt; moderate wear, margin tear, inner-joint split, owner's name on endpaper. New York: D. Appleton & Company, 1903 [75/100] 

https://www.rarebookhub.com/auction_lot_books/9545223?key=2761ea1deab50fe76b5231d4287ed1dd01cfa0f4

9. Fifteen maps of Arabian Peninsula from the 16th to 19th century sold at Forum (UK) on Feb. 26 for £3,302 ($4,459).

Middle East.- Arabian Peninsula.- Merian (Matthaeus) and others. Collection of 15 maps of the Arabian Peninsula, including Merian's 'Turcicum Imperium', a coloured and 

uncoloured impression of Ruscelli and Ptolemy's 'Tabula Asiae VI', and other maps by Bellin, Arrowsmith, Ortelius, Bertius and others, engraved maps, most with hand-colouring, various sizes between approx. 130 x 165 mm (5 1/8 x 6 1/2 in) and 340 x 405 mm (13 1/2 x 15 3/4 in), some scattered spotting and minor surface dirt, all unframed, 16th to 19th century (15) 

https://www.rarebookhub.com/auction_lot_books/9555273?key=1c4984328a151aaf3d5ccdb22726f322a52856cb

10. “Crimson Tide” motion picture memorabilia from Gene Hackman’s Feb. 26 sale at Bonham’s sold for $10,240, far exceeding presale high estimate of $300.

Hollywood Pictures, 1995, Comprising one wool and leather jacket with patches on the sleeves and inscribed CRIMSON / TIDE to the back; one leather binder embossed CRIMSON TIDE / GENE HACKMAN with a 121pp script dated REVISED 7/26/94; a Xeroxed copy of Gene Hackman's provisional agreements for the film; a group of production material; a colored photograph of Gene Hackman; two VHS copies of Trailer #2; one invitation to the screening at Cinerama Dome,dated May 10, 1995. (Qty.)height of leather binder 13 1/2in.

Crimson Tide is a 1995 American submarine action thriller directed by Tony Scott and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. Gene Hackman stars as the commanding officer of a U.S. nuclear missile submarine. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards.  

https://www.rarebookhub.com/auction_lot_books/9552117?key=5379debf67d532849d62ec76d3fb187056bf4dd6

11. Godzilla King of the Monsters, a 1956 movie poster sold at Rago on Feb. 24 for   $8,255.

Godzilla: King of The Monsters (Toho, 1956) one sheet 41 h x 27 w in (104 x 69 cm) When a 400-foot-tall prehistoric reptile is resurrected by hydrogen bomb testing, it leaves a trail of radioactive destruction across Tokyo. Distinguished as the re-edited American version of the Japanese masterpiece, this iteration seamlessly integrates Raymond Burr as an American reporter providing a firsthand account of the carnage.

 It stands as the definitive bridge between Eastern and Western sci-fi and is a cornerstone collectible for any kaiju enthusiast. Directed by Ishiro Honda and Terry O. Morse. Starring Raymond Burr, Takashi Shimura, and Momoko Kochi. 

https://www.rarebookhub.com/auction_lot_books/9550798?key=c2912900df5c096709d157fabac87cd473b5cc85

12. Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (1968) sold at Pacific Book Auction on Feb. 26 for $21,250.

Sharp copy of PKD masterpiece, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep

Gray cloth, spine stamped in gilt, jacket designed by Harry Sehring, Presented in custom drop-back box with paper spine label. First Edition. Dick's most famous novel and a 1968 Nebula Award nominee. Basis for cult classic film, Blade Runner (1982), directed by Ridley Scott and starring Rutger Hauer and Harrison Ford. Currey p.156. A scarce first edition as most copies went to libraries. Likely the sharpest copy PBA Galleries has brought to auction. Condition: Only the faintest rubbing at jacket spine ends; fine in near fine or better jacket Item. Philip K. Dick, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Doubleday and Co., Garden City, 1968.

A SELECTION OF UPCOMING AUCTION

Wed. Mar. 4th

Dominic Winter Book Auctions. Gloucestershire. Printed Books, Maps, Prints & Documents Early Cookery Books: A Private Collection. 623 lots

Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates. Harrisonburg. Winter Americana - Day 1. 9 lots

Gonnelli. Firenze. Books, Autographs and Manuscripts - Sessions 2 and 3. 294 lots

Christies. New York. Temple of Style: The Barbara Jakobson Collection. 54 lots

Catawiki B. V.. LA Assen, . Autographs and Manuscripts. 133 lots

Catawiki B. V.. LA Assen, . Old and Rare Books (pre-1700). 62 lots

Bukowskis. Stockholm. Curated Photographs.

Thu. Mar. 5th

Forum Auctions. London. Online: Books and Works on Paper. 300 lots

AntiquarianAuctions.com. Constantia. Books, Maps and Photographs. 284 lots

Kestenbaum and Company. Brooklyn. The Library of the late Dr. Michael D. Paul of St. John’s, Newfoundland.. 200 lots

Freeman's | Hindman. Chicago. Collect: Prints and Photographs.

Gonnelli Casa DAste. Firenze. Books, Autographs and Manuscripts - Sessions 4 & 5. 172 lots

Fri. Mar. 6th

Propstore. Valencia. Collectible Posters Live Auction: Los Angeles Spring 2026. 265 lots

Catawiki B. V.. LA Assen, . Literature and Illustrated Books Auction. 26 lots

Catawiki B. V.. LA Assen, . French Literature & Illustrated. 24 lots

Sat. Mar. 7th

Trillium Antique Prints & Rare Books. Franklin. Fine Art - Antique Engravings & Lithographs - Works on Paper. 150 lots

Peter Arnold. Prahran VIC . The John Alexander collection of English & American literature. 197 lots

Propstore. Valencia. Collectible Posters Auction - Days 2 & 3 - Online Spring 2026. 604 lots

Catawiki B. V.. LA Assen, . Old & Rare Books Auction Pre-1700. 190 lots

Sun. Mar. 8th

Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Sunday Movie Posters Select Auction.

OSENAT. VERSAILLES. The Royalty at Versailles. 49 lots

Stephan Welz & Co.. Constantia. Collectors Cornerstones Book Auction.

Sydney Rare Book Auctions. Ultimo. Science Fiction Books and Magazines - Firsts & Rarities.

Catawiki B. V.. LA Assen, . Autographs & Manuscripts Auction. 35 lots

Email Hammer_Price auctionnews2025@gmail.com