‘Irish tales collected from the Best authors now extant’, compiled by Matthew Moore Graham in 1835 made a hammer price of €20,000
A manuscript book of Irish tales compiled in 1835 by Matthew Moore Graham made a hammer price of €20,000 at the book sale by Purcell Auctioneers in Birr today. The estimate was €4,000-€6,000. Graham, who was an engineer, is best remembered as a translator of Irish poetry. A Cumann na mBan autograph book from 1922 made €2,500 at hammer over an estimate of €400-800. Antiquarian books, signed limited editions, vintage postcards and Irish botanical publications featured among more than 560 lots.
Discovered in 2021 on a remote ranch in South Dakota Gus became the most expensive T Rex ever sold at Sotheby’s in New York today. It is 67 million years old and made $50.1 million. The bones were excavated over three summers.
(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for July 11, 2026)
A pair of large Italian Tuscany villa gates at Victor Mee. UPDATE: THESE MADE 4,000 AT HAMMER
A fine pair of large forged iron gates from a villa in Tuscany might set the scene nicely now that climate change is upon us. This decorated and atmospheric pair, complete with two side pedestrian entrance gates and scroll design side pillars, is at Victor Mee’s online summer garden sale on July 15 with an estimate of €6,000-€8,000.
An original red telephone box, an 18th century industrial cast iron cider press, 21 square metres of Bert and May reclaimed floor tiles in a geometric Art Deco pattern of predominantly greys and an early 19th century metal three legged pot are among the collectibles at this sale of 733 lots. A large bronze buddha, sandstone troughs, fountains, granite seats, bronze fighting hares, sculpture, stone walls, seated stone lions, urns, gazebos, planters, spheres and staddle stones will come under the hammer.
Reclaimed geometric floor tiles at Victor Mee. UPDATE: THESE WERE UNSOLD
The market for collectibles is strong in Ireland and internationally. The late billionaire Jim Irsay, owner of the Indianapolis Colts, collected all sorts of objects with wealthy discrimination. His collection made more than $100 million over five sales at Christie’s this year, the largest sale total in history for memorabilia. At the last of those sales last week the foundation document for Alcoholics Anonymous made $2.39 million (€2.09 million) with proceeds going to charitable causes. He had amazing stuff, like a signed letter from George Washington to Thomas Jefferson ($2.7 million – €2.36 million) and a pair of used dress circle theatre tickets for the night of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination ($330,000 – €262.17).
In Ireland the market for collectible memorabilia has grown and grown. Everything from old road signs to enamel cigarette advertising panels to petrol pumps and vintage toys are features at auction up and down the country. Uniqueness and rarity add value, but many items can be picked up for a song.
A Shell fibreglass petrol pump globe at Aidan Foley’s sale. UPDATE: THIS MADE 240 AT HAMMER
Pints to Pistons is the title of Aidan Foley’s online evening sales in Doneraile on July 13 and 14. There is a strong focus on pub and motor trade memorabilia with a big selection of enamel signs, oil stands, original petrol pump globes, advertising signs, mirrors and prints. All are highly reflective of an Ireland that was up to quite recently and now is no more.
Without any doubt there will be much interest in lots like an original enamel Paddy Whiskey advertising sign in a wooden frame, a Shell fibreglass petrol pump globe, a Michelin Man ashtray, a Player’s Please jug, a Duckham’s metal forecourt oil display stand and an Esso Extra two litre can. Once ubiquitous items like these have all but disappeared from life in Ireland.
With signs for everything from Agfa Photos and Robin Starch to Capstan cigarettes, St. Bruno Flake and Churchman’s Noted Counter Shag there is plenty here to reminisce about and encourage a trip down memory lane. Catalogues for all sales are online.
An enamel double sided tobacco sign at Aidan Foley’s sale. UPDATE: THIS MADE 190 AT HAMMER AND WENT TO A BUYER IN AUSTRALIA
One of the largest and most complete T Rex specimens ever discovered is set to become the most valuable dinosaur ever at auction at Sotheby’s in New York on July 14. Gus, a 67 million year old Tyrannosaurus Rex, is estimated at $20 million – $30 million (€17.48 million – €26.22 million). Excavated over field seasons in 2021, 2022, and 2023 the fossil was discovered by Thomas Heitkamp and his team on land owned by the late Gary “Gus” Licking, a cattle rancher in Harding County, South Dakota. After years of finding teeth and bone fragments on his land Licking brought in the professionals, who named discovery after him. Gus has a body length of around 38 feet and a height of twelve and a half feet. Photo credit Matthew Sherman.
Yeats Family Violin. Labelled D. Nicolas Ainé Mirecourt’ c1810-20. UPDATE: THIS MADE £5,000
Lot 479 at the sale by Dominic Winter auctioneers in Cirencester on July 16 is an early 19th-century French Mirecourt violin, from the private collection of the family of Nobel Prize-winning Irish poet W. B. Yeats. The violin was acquired by ‘Chapel Violins’ from the Yeats Family Collection auction conducted by Fonsie Mealy Auctioneers in Castlecomer in November 2017. It was from the Dalkey home of Michael Yeats (1921–2007), a former senator and the son of W. B. Yeats (1865-1939) and his wife the harpist Gráinne Yeats (1925–2013). Since its acquisition, the violin has remained on display within the ‘Chapel Violins’ workshop as part of its private collection, where it has served as an example of exceptional early French violin-making and also as an instrument connected with one of Ireland’s most celebrated literary families. The estimate is £6,000-£8,000.
An Italian 1970’s mobile cocktail trolley. UPDATE: THIS MADE 360 AT HAMMER
f you are dreaming of outdoor summer drinks in warming up Ireland then a striking mobile cocktail trolley on casters might fill the bill. The selection of vintage mid century modernist furniture at the online art and design auction at de Veres until July 15 includes a retro Italian 1970’s mobile cocktail bar which with little effort could be wheeled to a patio in the heat. The estimate is just €400-€600.
A 1960’s rosewood Italian sideboard with an estimate of €800-€1,200, a pair of Magis Bombo aluminium bar stools (€400-€600), a pair of French space age floor lamps (€400-€600), a burr walnut dining table attributed to Willy Rizzo (€600-€900) and a circular table by Arne Jacobsen (€200-€300) all feature at de Veres. There is no in person viewing thugh lots can be viewed by appointment. The auction of 242 lots features a large selection of artworks and the catalogue is online.
A 1960’s rosewood Italian sideboard. UPDATE: THIS MADE 650 AT HAMMER
A Currency Commission Royal Bank of Ireland Ploughman’s note dated May 6, 1929. UPDATE: THIS MADE £6,500 AT HAMMER
Noonan’s of Mayfair say that three extremely rare banknotes at their sale on July 8 are arguably the finest set of Irish notes ever offered at auction. The trio of extremely special notes – a set of Ploughman notes (£10, £5 and £1) issued by the Royal Bank of Ireland, all bearing serial number 000001 are expected to fetch £8,000-10,000; £6,000-7,000 and £4,000-5,000 respectively. Lots 405-407 all bear the serial number 000001. They will be among the highlights of Noonans auction of British and Irish Banknotes.
Ted Edmunds, banknote specialist at Noonans commented: “Given the rarity, condition and serial number, we believe this set of £1, £5 and £10 are arguably the finest set of Irish notes ever offered at auction.” Describing it as about uncirculated and a fantastic banknote in scarcely believable condition the catalogue description continues: …a glorious example of a £10 Ploughman with an incredible serial number 1, a joy to see one of the most iconic banknotes in the world in all its glory, magnificent!
UPDATE: The three banknotes made a combined hammer price of £34,500 (€40,482). They had been estimated in the region of £20,000 (€23,470). Noonans said they were all bought by the same overseas buyer.
Pelé’s 1962 World Cup winners medal will come under the hammer at Julien’s Auctions in Los Angeles on July 9, just ten days before the current World Cup final. The estimate is $200,000-$400,000. From Pelé, Diego Maradona, and Lionel Messi to LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Serena Williams, and Roger Maris, Sports Legends: The Pitch To The Court at Julien’s traces the evolution of athletic greatness through museum-worthy pieces connected to defining eras and unforgettable moments across soccer, basketball, tennis, football, and baseball. Nearly 350 pieces spanning generations of the greatest athletes offered in this auction form an extraordinary collection of match-worn jerseys, historic awards, signed memorabilia, tournament programmes, and personal effects tied to some of the most celebrated names in sports history.
A Kylian Mbappé match worn 2022 Paris St Germain jersey is estimated at $3,000-$5,000, a Lionel Messi signed Argentina jersey has an estimate of $2,000-$3,000. Diego Maradona’s match worn 1978 Argentinos Junior rookies year jersey and Baldocchi’s 1970 Brazil World Cup winners medal are each estimated at $10,000-$20,000. A game worn LeBron James signed rookie year Cavaliers jersey is estimated at $300,000-$500,000.
[BRONTË, Emily (1818-1848) and Anne (1820-1849)] Wuthering Heights. A Novel. By Ellis Bell. – Agnes Grey. A Novel, by Acton Bell. London: Thomas Cautley Newby, 1847 sold for £1,206,500/ €1,399,540 setting a new world auction record for the author, as well as the highest price ever achieved for 19th-century literature and for any printed book by a woman.
A truly exceptional first edition of Wuthering Heights in the original cloth binding and of Agnes Grey by Brontë sisters Emily and Anne sold for £1.2 million at Christie’s Exceptional Sale in London today. Preserved within the same historic house library since shortly after publication in 1847, it is perhaps the finest example remaining in private hands of a masterpiece of English literature. No textually complete copy has appeared at auction in the publisher’s cloth binding since 1908.
Although both Wuthering Heights and Agnes Grey were written and accepted for publication before Charlotte had completed Jane Eyre, it was the latter work which was published first, in October 1847. The immediate and enormous success of Jane Eyre prompted Thomas Cautley Newby to bring forward the release of the present works in order to capitalise on the phenomenon. The exact number of copies printed is unknown, but it was suggested by Charlotte that the run was limited to just 250. Of these, examples preserved in any form of publisher’s binding are exceedingly scarce, with those in full cloth being the rarest of all.
The original working text for Alcoholics Anonymous is at Christie’s in New York on July 1 with an estimate of $1 million – $2 million. The Big Book – which launched the 12 steps movement – changed countless lives, became one of the most influential works of the 20th century, sold more than 30 million copies and was classified by the Library of Congress as one of the 88 “Books that Shaped America”. The document, complete with extensive handwritten notations and edits by authors Bill Wilson (1895-1971) and Hank Parkhurst (1895-1954), is from the collection of late billionaire and ceo of the Indianapolis Colts Jim Irsay. Wilson was a businessman who by 1934 had lost his career on Wall St., his reputation and his health. Parkhurst was a former Standard Oil executive and gifted organiser who met Wilson in New York in 1937 after getting sober. Proceeds from the sale of this lot will go to charitable causes supported by Jim Irsay.
