Auctioneers

The record-shattering sum of $41m paid for an extremely rare, 1787 first printing of the US Constitution at Sotheby’s New York last November was covered in ATG No 2520, but a sale held by the same auction house a few days later, on November 23, also contained rare items of American historical interest.

This early Georgian walnut open armchair was one of the highlights of the sale of Old Master paintings, English and Continental furniture, silver and decorative arts held by Doyle (26/21/15% buyer’s premium) in New York on January 26.

This Irish bog oak canoe or trough was among the quirkier – and best-performing – lots in Bonhams’ (27.5/25/20/14.5% buyer’s premium) ‘without reserve’ sale of the Jim Lennon collection in Edinburgh on January 26.

Nelson held his protégé Captain Sir William Hoste KCB (1780-1828) in high esteem.

The first tranche from a large collection of Irish banknotes assembled by the late Gus Mac Amhlaigh of Dublin sold by DNW on November 25 included red and orange Bank of Ireland £20 ‘specimen’ notes from the famous Ploughman series.

If it’s a real mix of topics, genres and ages you are after, this auction had everything

Dix Noonan Webb set a record for a British army Victoria Cross on June 23.

The finest-known example of a New England shilling sold for £220,000 at Morton & Eden in London on November 26.

In response to a decline in the wool trade, a shortage of bullion and the impact of the Wars of the Roses, English coinage was devalued on August 13, 1464.

A Star Trek journey through time spanning the entire history of the series and film franchise will be the object of a 75-lot auction at Heritage in Dallas on February 22.

Among a flurry of historical portraits coming to the regional market at the start of this year, arguably the most notable appeared at Oxfordshire saleroom JS Fine Art (20% buyer’s premium).

The varied mixed-discipline Winter Enchantment sale to be held in Maine by Thomaston Place auctions over three days from February 25-27 will include a sizeable glass and ceramics section.

This cloisonné and plique à jour enamel silver presentation tankard will be one of the highlights of the Gilded Age auction at Freeman’s in Philadelphia on February 24.

A group of Sotheby’s former employees are considering further action against the auction house’s plan to close its ‘defined benefit’ pension plan.

An 18th century teapot was among the stand out items in the sale of the collection of doctors-turned-dealers Wynn A Sayman Antiques.

One of the highlights of the April 2007 London Islamic sale series had been this 2ft 4in (74cm) high white marble bust of Maharajah Duleep Singh by neoclassical sculptor John Gibson.

With the advent of modern tournament chess in the Victorian era came the issue of game time.