Auction Reports

Sothebys

Auction Info

Auction Name
Books, Manuscripts and Music
Auction Date
12/11/2025 - 12/11/2025
Sale Number
#L25401
Total Lots
162
Sold Lots
127.0
Lots Sold
78.40%
Unsold Lots
35
Total Sales (GBP)
2,310,550.00
Low Estimate of Lots Sold (GBP)
1,355,500.00
High Estimate of Lots Sold (GBP)
1,950,000.00
Low Estimate of All Lots (GBP)
1,741,500.00
High Estimate of All Lots (GBP)
2,489,000.00
Total Sales as a % of High Est.
92.83%

Top twenty five by sale price

Lot Number Author Name Book Title Year Published Estimate Actual Price
95 J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. London

 1997 GBP 100,000.00 - 150,000.00 GBP 253,999.00
76 Darwin, Charles and Alfred Russel Wallace

On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties; and on the Perpetuation of Varieties and Species by Natural Means of Selection [1858-59]

 1859 GBP 100,000.00 - 150,000.00 GBP 228,600.00
5 Bible, Latin

Biblia Latina, a bifolium printed on vellum from the Gutenberg or 42-line Bible.

c.1454-1455 GBP 70,000.00 - 90,000.00 GBP 215,899.00
147 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Autograph sketchleaf including a probable draft for the finale of the Piano Quartet in E flat, K.493, FORMERLY IN THE COLLECTION OF PAUL HIRSCH

 1786 GBP 150,000.00 - 200,000.00 GBP 177,799.00
66 Tsar Alexander II and Catherine Dolgorukova

Correspondence between Tsar Alexander II and his lover Catherine Dolgorukova,

1866-1879 GBP 100,000.00 - 150,000.00 GBP 120,649.00
77 Charles Darwin

On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life

 1859 GBP 40,000.00 - 60,000.00 GBP 76,200.00
141 Franz Liszt

Remarkable collection of 28 autograph letters and notes, signed ("F. Liszt"; "FL"), in French, to the composer's close friend and confidante Baroness Olga von Meyendorff

 1863-1886 GBP 10,000.00 - 15,000.00 GBP 53,340.00
134 Johannes Brahms

Autograph manuscript signed of the songs 'Sehnsucht', op.14 no.8, and 'Trost in Tranen', op.48 no.5, for voice and piano, FORMERLY IN THE CELEBRATED COLLECTION OF LOUIS KOCH

 1858 GBP 40,000.00 - 60,000.00 GBP 44,449.00
130 Ludwig van Beethoven

Fine characteristic autograph letter signed ("Beethoven"), to his friend Nikolaus von Zmeskall, dated by the recipient '28 8br.

1810 GBP 20,000.00 - 30,000.00 GBP 38,100.00
108 Ian Fleming

Live and Let Die

 1954 GBP 20,000.00 - 30,000.00 GBP 35,559.00
88

A silver teaspoon owned by Captain F.R.M. Crozier

 GBP 8,000.00 - 12,000.00 GBP 35,559.00
107 Ian Fleming

Casino Royale.

 1953 GBP 20,000.00 - 30,000.00 GBP 33,019.00
143 Jules Massenet

Autograph manuscript full score, signed, of the incidental music to Georges Rivollet's play Jerusalem, UNPUBLISHED

 1911 GBP 15,000.00 - 20,000.00 GBP 27,939.00
79 Albert Einstein

Autograph letter signed, to Alfred Bucherer, ON HIS CONFIRMATION OF EINSTEIN'S THEORY OF SPECIAL RELATIVITY

 12 September 1908, former folds and slight creasing, remains of mount GBP 20,000.00 - 30,000.00 GBP 27,939.00
80 Albert Einstein

Autograph letter signed ("A. Einstein"), to Alfred Bucherer

 25 November 1908, slight splitting at folds, fraying at outer edge, light creasing, remains of mount GBP 18,000.00 - 26,000.00 GBP 27,939.00
62 Virgil---Gavin Douglas (translator)

The xiii bukes of Eneados of the famose poete Virgill translatet out of Latyne verses into Scottish metir, bi the Reuerend Father in God, Mayster Gawin Douglas Bishop of Dunkel

 1553 GBP 15,000.00 - 20,000.00 GBP 25,399.00
111 Ian Fleming

Diamonds Are Forever.

1956 GBP 12,000.00 - 18,000.00 GBP 24,129.00
148 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart--Paul Hirsch (collector, bibliophile and Mozartian, 1881-1951)

The Frankfurt and Cambridge autograph guest books and chamber-music notebooks of Paul Hirsch

 1897-1967 GBP 6,000.00 - 8,000.00 GBP 24,129.00
100 E.H. Shepard

Suite of three original illustrations for Now We Are Six, pen and ink drawings on paper, comprising:

 1927 GBP 15,000.00 - 20,000.00 GBP 22,860.00
118 Ian Fleming

Thunderball.

1961 GBP 5,000.00 - 7,000.00 GBP 21,589.00
View Full Auction Details

Back