Print Edition

Georg Siegmund Stobwasser (1717-76) and his son Johann Heinrich (1740-1829) were among many craftsmen who moved to Brunswick during the Seven Years’ War.

Though incomplete and in a decorative 19th century binding, a very desirable early Bible impressed at Chiswick Auctions (25/12% buyer’s premium).

Sold for a record €260,000 (£234,235) in Hamburg was a copy of Lucas Janszoon Waghenaer’s Speculum nauticum super navigatione maris occidentalis…

On March 23 Christie’s France, in association with booksellers Jacques Quentin (Geneva) and Benoît Forgeot (Paris), will offer the first part of the poetic library of Jean Paul Barbier-Mueller.

Among the highlights of the year at Spink was a group of 17 medals awarded to Air Vice-Marshal Sir Matthew Brown ‘Bunty’ Frew (1895-1974).

The Medals, Orders and Decorations sale at Morton & Eden in November featured two Victoria Crosses awarded during the Indian Mutiny. They sold to the same buyer for a combined hammer price of £300,000.

Two pieces of sculpture – both catalogued as 19th century copies – made much higher than expected prices in the UK regions last month.

Early look of Peanuts cartoon strip evident from lot offered at Heritage Auctions.

A sketchbook by English artist and muralist Barbara Jones (1912-78) is among the items for sale at 'Firsts Online: Winter Edition'.

MADAM – Christopher Howe’s reminiscences and observations (‘Auction Giants Sotheby’s and Christie’s have turned this multicolour business into beige’, Letters, ATG No 2478) bring back happy memories.

After striking a few coins in both gold and silver which were still closely related to Byzantine and Sasanian prototypes, ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan ibn al-Hakam, the fifth Umayyad caliph, ruling from 685-705AD (65-86H), made a clean break with the pre-Islamic past and introduced a completely new gold coinage in 77H.

This coin, from the period known as ‘The Anarchy’, was discovered by a metal detectorist in a Yorkshire field in March.

A very early coloured litho view of Melbourne formed part of an Australiana sale held by dealer and auctioneer Peter Arnold (18% buyer’s premium).

This hitherto unrecorded work by the Jewish painter Morris Goldstein (1892-1965) is offered by the Nonesuch Gallery, priced at £5000.

MADAM – After a lifetime as an antiques dealer, one continuous theme I have noticed is that all my fellow traders have thousands of stories of there esoteric life. Some true and some enhanced for effect, but a real insight into our bizarre way of life.

Roma Numismatics set a new record for a classical coin when a Brutus Eid Mar-type gold aureus, struck shortly after the murder of Julius Caesar, took £2.7m in October.

The numismatic department of TimeLine is a small but important part of the auction house’s activities in the related disciplines of antiquities and medieval works of art.

This William and Mary Five Guineas piece from 1693 features conjoined busts of joint monarchs.

Our regular listing of British and Irish book auctions.

MADAM – Having been dealing with European auction houses and art dealers for over 50 years, including the period before the introduction of ARR (Artist’s Resale Right), it is tragic to discover the only excuse that the negotiators can present for the continuation of this imposition is a ‘level playing field’ (News, ATG No 2476).