Few names are as valuable in baseball cards as Honus Wagner and one of three 1909-11 T206 Piedmont cards known, which has not been publicly available for more than two decades, brought an auction record price of $5.86 million at Heritage. In other auctions over the last week, historic early American autographed manuscripts continued to ride a patriotic fervor this year as a Benjamin Franklin loan note earned $352,000 at Freeman’s, and buyers made no bones about a pair of dodo foot bones that fetched $19,682 at Sworders. For these highlights and others, keep reading.
Egyptian Ibis Flies High At Clars
OAKLAND, CALIF. — In Clars Auctions’ August 14 Gallery Auction, an Egyptian Revival ibis stool led the charge, flying to $13,100, well beyond its $1,2/1,500 estimate. From the third quarter of the Nineteenth Century, this avian stool had an inlaid wooden ibis-form frame and upholstered seat that depicted a winged deity. It stood 28½ inches tall from foot to top of its curved neck. For information, www.clars.com or 510-428-0100.
Light As A Feather? Hummingbird Ring Is Eldred’s Heavyweight
EAST DENNIS, MASS. — Eldred’s conducted a 315-lot Jewelry, Timepieces + Vertu auction on August 13. Bringing the greatest price was a “Hopi Le Colibiri” ring. The hummingbird-and-flower ring was from Boucheron’s Animaux de Collection and featured a 40.18-carat morganite stone as the flower and a diamond-set hummingbird with sapphire cabochon eyes. The ring’s weight in gold was approximately 9.37 troy ounces, and it was a good buy at $83,200 ($80/100,000). For information, www.eldreds.com or 508-385-3116.
Gold Rope Necklace A Standout At Golden Gavel
EAST WINDSOR, CONN. — All that glitters is not gold, but gold jewelry is a hit at auctions. Golden Gavel’s August 6 auction saw a 14K yellow gold rope chain necklace, measuring 20 inches and weighing 11.7 grams, attain $948. It featured a classic twisted rope pattern and retained a bright, polished finish. For information, www.goldengavel.com or 860-623-2100.
Ben Franklin Loan Note Tops Freeman’s
CHICAGO — The Founding Fathers continue to bring robust prices at auctions this summer as evidenced by Freeman’s Books & Manuscripts, including Americana Auction August 20 where a partially-printed promissory note, printed by Benjamin Franklin and twice-signed by him attained $352,000. The December 4, 1781, loan certificate, in French, was for 816,000 livres (then equal to about $151,000 and today worth $4 million), in Franklin’s own hand as Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States. For information, www.freemansauction.com or 312-280-1212.
Abstract Landscape Clears At Roland
GLEN COVE, N.Y. —Roland Auctions’ August 22 estates auction was led by an abstract tree landscape after Estonian nonconformist artist Ülo Sooster (1924-1970). The mixed media composition in muted colors was signed to the lower middle right and dated “66.” Measuring 15 by 21 inches framed, it was raised beyond its $5/7,000 estimate to achieve $19,500. For information, www.rolandauctions.com or 516-759-9400.
Baseball’s Holy Grail Hits Homerun For Heritage
DALLAS — A 1909-11 T206 Piedmont Honus Wagner SGC Authentic — one of three Piedmonts known that has been off the market for nearly a quarter century — sold for a record $5.856 million to lead Heritage’s August 21-23 Summer Platinum Night Sports Auction. The winning bidder is just the third owner since the card was printed more than a century ago. The T206 Wagner has long been regarded as the hobby’s “Holy Grail,” the card that serves as the standard by which all other baseball cards are measured. Among these rarities, those with the prized Piedmont back are coveted above all. Nearly all T206 Wagners feature a Sweet Caporal advertising back, elevating the Piedmont model to unmatched exclusivity. For information, www.ha.com or 877-437-4824.
‘Lost World’ Art Finds Buyer At White’s
MIDDLEBORO, MASS. — Original art of “The Lost World” from Planet Comics #36, performed well at White’s Auctions August 23 when it rocketed past its $1/2,000 estimate to land at $50,020. The story’s cover page (pictured) was attributed to artist Lily Renée (Phillips). Planet Comics was one of the first comics specializing in science fiction and comprised 73 issues. For information, www.whitesauctions.com or 508-947-9281.
Balinese Painting Performs Well At Vero Beach
VERO BEACH, FLA. — A mixed media charcoal/gouache painting of Balinese women by Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur outperformed its $1/2,000 estimate August 22 to realize $9,600 at Vero Beach Auction. The painting had a Bali temple theme and depicted five women with assorted Barong figures and statues. For information, www.verobeachauction.com or 772-9787-5955.
Bones From Extinct Bird Fly High At Sworders
LONDON — Sworders’ August 18 Out of the Ordinary auction far exceeded expectations and was led by two dodo foot bones that achieved £14,560, approximately $19,862. The extinct bird bones were from Mauritius, pre-1690, and were “from a group of dodo bones discovered in 1885 during the investigation of the Mare aux Songes swamp, Mauritius, by schoolmaster George Clarke,” according to the catalog. They had provenance to Errol Fuller, author of Dodo: From Extinction to Icon (2002), and sold with a signed letter and copy of his book. For information www.sworder.co.uk.
