Auctions

Two medieval illuminated manuscripts identified as being late 19th century or early 20th century fakes attributed to The Spanish Forger are being sold in Dorset on June 25 estimated at £500-1000.

A triple-faced owl vase by the Zsolnay factory hammered for $9000 (£6610) at Thomaston Place Auction Galleries (25% buyer’s premium).

A steel Katar dagger, made in the Tanjore region of India in the 17th or 18th century, hammered way above hopes for $70,000 (£51,900) on March 28 at Ripley Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) in Indianapolis.

The annual trials of watches that took place first in Greenwich and later at the Royal Observatory in Kew and the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington were an opportunity for the Admiralty to choose suitable timekeepers and for manufacturers to obtain an independent assessment of their merchandise.

Rare atlases from the 17th to 19th centuries provided the top-sellers as an extensive library collection emerged from the estate of a descendant of one of Britain’s longest-serving Chancellors of the Exchequer.

A Montague Dawson (1890-1973) watercolour, 'With the Wind', hammered for $44,000 (£32,700) at New Orleans Auction Galleries (25% buyer’s premium) against a guide of $3000-5000.

A 16th century gilt bronze tomb figure of St Jerome that had suffered ignominies before reaching the auction block hammered for $32,500 (£24,100) against a guide of $6000-8000 at Richard Opfer (23% buyer’s premium).

Our regular listing of UK and Irish books and works on paper sales

London books, prints and wine specialist Forum Auctions was founded in July 2016 with the ambition of combining the best of the digital and the analogue worlds. A decade later, with all but one of the original team still on board, the company is preparing for two special anniversary sales. Founder and executive chairman Stephan Ludwig shares his views with ATG.

An early work by Mary Jane Peale (1827-1902), a member of the famed family of American artists, hammered for $275,000 (£204,000) against a guide of $5000-8000 at Doyle (27% buyer’s premium).

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

Two personal letters written by William Wilberforce, the Hull-born anti-slavery campaigner and influential politician, were on offer at East Yorkshire saleroom Hawleys (22% buyer’s premium) on June 13.

ATG’s pick of auction lots bought by internet bidders on thesaleroom.com, featuring both the highest prices over-estimate and the top prices paid online

This summer, a diverse range of noteworthy lots will go under the hammer at auction houses across the UK. Here we turn a spotlight to some of these – from a first vampire novel and Titanic launch tickets to a Duke of Wellington portrait and a Ravilious watercolour