Switzerland

The coin sale staged by David Guest Numismatics with Numismatica Ars Classica in Zurich on November 19 includes two rare medals issued by the Royal Humane Society.

Artists’ portfolios prove popular as Swiss auctioneer’s own firm disperses items from his personal library

Chillida and Giacometti compositions are sought after by bidders

A family collection of faience ceramics attracted worldwide interest at auction in Zurich

The furniture in the background of many paintings by Walter Sickert has proved to be a useful aid when dating his works.

The name Ducret has been closely connected to the world of faience ever since the 1950s, when Siegfried Ducret published the first of numerous indispensable handbooks for collectors of and dealers in European porcelain and faience.

Even though, as a rule, big-name wristwatches still attract the highest prices, recent sales show a resilient market for pocket watches.

Since it was purchased at Sotheby’s in London in 1935, a painting by Pieter Brueghel the Younger had remained in possession of the family of a Swiss collector.

Geneva’s blue ribbon jewellery sales are not the obvious place to find a suite of mid-18th century English silver dessert plates.

In recent sales at Artcurial, Bailly, Beurret and Widner (25% buyer’s premium) in Basel, works of art from the renowned collection of Lotar Neumann in Gingins have been consigned by his descendants and achieved notable results.

A Ferdinand III (1608-57) 100-ducat gold piece briefly became the most expensive ‘modern era’ European gold coin ever sold at auction when it hammered for SFr1.95m (£1.83m) in Geneva.

Greek mythology provided François Boucher with an endless source of inspiration. One tale he returned to on several occasions was that of Ariadne and Bacchus.

Early November is always a busy time for pocket watch collectors. In the space of a few days, specialist sales are traditionally held in Switzerland and Germany which offer a broad selection of historical watches for all tastes and most budgets.

Our pick of lots from 11 upcoming auctions in Germany, Switzerland and Austria

A round up selling exhibitions and dealer news from the UK and Europe

The books sale at Koller (25% buyer’s premium) in Zurich on September 17 was topped at SwFr250,000 (£237,250) by a first edition of the book Einstein described as “perhaps the greatest intellectual stride that it has ever been granted to any man to make”.

A round-up of art and antiques news from the previous seven days, including a Ferdinand III (1608-57) 100 ducat gold making a record sum

Example made in Gujarat or Goa goes to a Portuguese buyer