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The art and antiques trade is taking its Brexit concerns directly to government with the submission of a series of policy documents asking that art market interests are recognised.

A former chairman of Christie’s South Kensington has written an open letter to owner François Pinault warning that his plans for the company could “gravely harm Christie’s in London”

An audacious robbery in Amsterdam has left a dealer without insurance cover for the theft of more than 250 Asian works of art.

A previously unknown complete set of Goya’s La Tauromaquia led Sotheby’s sale of Prints & Multiples in London on April 4.

MADAM – I read your Editor’s Comment on ARR and Brexit (ATG No 2286) with interest and write to you now with a different perspective.

Christie’s is to appeal last month’s French court ruling that declared Droit de Suite is a charge on the vendor rather than the buyer.

First editions of Jane Austen’s most popular book, Pride and Prejudice of 1813, in contemporary bindings don’t come along often. But one such prize – a copy with a rather distant but nonetheless attractive family link – appeared at Mellors & Kirk (20% buyer’s premium) in Nottingham on March 22-23.

The Charterhouse saleroom must be under doctors’ orders. Two private collections included in the Dorset April 20-21 auction come from consignors with ‘Dr’ in front of their names.

Daniel Quare (1648-1724) is primarily known as a clock and watchmaker. He was, however, also an accomplished maker of portable barometers, one of which came up for sale at Dorotheum (25/22/15% buyer’s premium) in Vienna on March 29.

Tangible mementos of the dark years of 1940-45 were offered at a St Peter Port sale held by Martel Maides (17.5% buyer’s premium) on March 15-16.

Special forces memorabilia making special prices is not a top-secret scenario in the militaria world. The appetite is always high for the exploits of small elite units where bravery and hair-raising tales are the norm.

The extra push of archive items accompanying medals at auction is well recognised but such material is increasingly on the advance in its own right. Honours offered with log books, diaries, maps, letters and so on are very attractive to buyers given the background story they create about the recipient.

A photo collection sold at C&T formed part of an archive relating to Brenda Long, secretary to General Sir H Ismay (later Lord Ismay), Chief of Staff to Sir Winston Churchill from mid-1944 until the end of 1945.

A classic Second World War British Commando 2nd pattern Fairbairn Sykes fighting knife sold with scabbard for £550 at Hansons (17.5% buyer’s premium) on March 21 against an estimate of £100-120.

A famous military name always in demand at auction is Richthofen. However, the two lots sold at Dickins Auctioneers (19.5% buyer’s premium plus VAT) on March 31 related not to the Red Baron of Great War fame, but to his cousin, Generalfeldmarschall Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen (1895-1945).

One of the more obscure Second World War special forces units was the little-known Raiding Support Regiment. Bosleys (23% buyer’s premium) of Marlow sold an embroidered cap badge from this regiment for £3100 (estimate £500-800) on January 25.

Three articles recently published in ATG focused on the sale of a painting and in each case the key issue was authenticity. Here, lawyer Milton Silverman provides advice, including legal precedent, on how auctioneers can avoid disputes relating to authenticity as a result of misattribution.

ATG’s selection of auction lots bought by internet bidders on thesaleroom.com from the period March 30-April 5, 2017. This includes both the highest prices over estimate and the top prices paid online.