Collectables

ATG’s calendar of book auctions taking place in the UK and Ireland from May 5-16, 2020. All sales are now held online due to the coronavirus alert.

A Purdey & Sons double-barrel hammer rifle built in 1875 for the Prince of Wales’ Indian tour of 1875-76 sold for £8000 at the Gavin Gardiner (25% buyer’s premium) live online auction of Modern & Vintage Sporting Guns on April 22.

Norfolk auction house sells 11 guns with provenance to one of the most renowned enthusiasts

Gambling memorabilia and playing cards provided the twin attractions of a sale held by Potter & Potter (20% buyer’s premium) of Chicago, where the day’s top lot proved to be a famous book with a local imprint.

A silver penny of the boy king Edward the Martyr – the teenager who ruled Saxon Britain in the 10th century and was later venerated as a saint – has sold to a UK collector for £9000 at Dix Noonan Webb (24% buyer’s premium).

Ken tanto, distinguished by double-edged blades, are one of the rarer styles of Japanese sword. Most were made as Buddhist ritual implements rather than weapons and are decorated accordingly.

MADAM – Re: your report on the sycee sold at auction in Germany (International, ATG No 2438).

Bertoia Auctions’ large spring sale of antique toys, trains and banks in Vineland, New Jersey, takes place on May 7-8.

Specialist auction house sells early versions hailing from the US

The three magazines shown here were all produced by students of the Royal College of Art in the years 1925-27 and sold online for £1000 in a sale at Mellors & Kirk (24% buyer’s premium) of Nottingham.

The photograph seen at bottom right is a group of Chinese men convicted of spying and awaiting “…execution by Imperialists”.

Dealer Timothy Millett, a specialist in historical medals and associated works of art, has launched a website to sell greeting cards based on images of some of his favourite objects.

ATG’s calendar of book auctions taking place in the UK and Ireland from April 28-May 7, 2020. All sales are now held online due to the coronavirus alert.

Brought into Wolverhampton firm Cuttlestones (17.5% buyer’s premium) on a valuation day, this early-19th century anti-slavery tobacco box sold to a UK bidder on thesaleroom.com for £480.

Essay warns about considerable perils of the ‘indecent custom’ of burials in churchyards

Appearing in 1937, a couple of years after the locomotive itself was launched, the LMS Princess Elizabeth was the biggest and best locomotive that Hornby ever made.