Auctions

The final day of Gardiner Houlgate’s latest guitar auction included a remarkable Victorian-era instrument: a rosewood and mother of pearl inlaid harp-guitar or ‘guitarpa’.

Christie’s posted a spate of record prices at three New York sales from September 10-12 offering Paul Allen’s extraordinary collection of scientific and technological items.

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

Lance Corporal James Smith of the Military Mounted Police, formerly of the Northumberland Fusiliers, survived the First World War but it was a moment of danger after the conflict that earned him a special honour.

In November, Spink of London will offer a Spitfire pilot’s Battle of Britain group of eight awarded to Warrant Officer (later Squadron Leader) Ernest Mayne, No 74 (Tiger) Squadron, RAF.

In the 1870s, French artist Émile-Auguste Hublin (1830-91) made frequent trips to the villages of Brittany, producing a large body of work recording the customs – and costumes – of traditional rural life as the region rapidly industrialised.

A collection of cinefilms belonging to Brigadier Dudley Clarke (1899-1974), a key figure behind British military deception operations during the Second World War, was sold by Chiswick Auctions (26% buyer’s premium) on August 7.

Coinex, the most important event on the British calendar for many serious coin collectors, opens at the Biltmore Hotel in Mayfair on September 27-28.

A one-off find in the shape of a military tailor’s pattern book from 1895 has been bought by the National Army Museum (NAM).

Copy of well-known enlightened work featuring portraits and biographies comes to London saleroom

The latest sale of Objects of Vertu at Toovey’s (24.5% buyer’s premium) in West Sussex included two impressive examples of mid-20th century Australian goldsmithing.

Leading a recent sale at Vogt Auction Texas (25% buyer’s premium) was this portrait of an early 20th century champion homing pigeon.

Edinburgh auction includes possible record for the design achieved by an example worn by a member of the Kings Own Scottish Borderers

Anderson & Garland (25% buyer’s premium) of Newcastle upon Tyne offered the private collection of militaria and weapons belonging to Douglas Napier Anderson (b.1927).

Specialist auction house Onslows’ November 29 auction includes a rare group of British and Irish recruiting posters form the First World War and a near-complete set of the Parliamentary Recruiting posters.

Along with the Soviet T34, the Sherman was regarded as one of the best all-round tanks of the Second World War.