Posts Tagged ‘auctions’
Rare autographed letter to Queen Elizabeth I from possible love interest sells for £33k
An extremely rare autographed letter to Queen Elizabeth I from her lifelong friend and possible love interest, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, has been sold for nearly £33,000. The manuscript contains an enigmatic reference to an unspecified great matter of state, said to bear directly on the Queen’s life and likely relating to England’s policy…
Read MoreHidden still life discovered on reverse of portrait painting by Scottish colourist George Leslie Hunter
A hidden still life discovered on the reverse of a portrait painting by Scottish colourist George Leslie Hunter is going under the hammer for the first time. Portrait of John Ressich, by Hunter, has been held in a private collection for generations. The still life on the back of the painting was only discovered when…
Read MoreOne of first coins to be minted in Scotland during King David I reign sold at auction
One of the first coins to be minted in Scotland has sold at auction for more than £1,000. The very rare penny was made some time after 1136, during the reign of King David I of Scotland. It shows a profile bust of the King holding a sceptre, and a cross with fleurs de lis…
Read MoreThe 10 most important Scottish artists you should know about
Ahead of Bonhams Scottish Art auction on 15 May in Edinburgh, Specialist and Head of Sale, May Matthews, introduces ten of the most important Scottish artists from the last 250 years. Henry Raeburn Perhaps Scotland’s most well-known painter, Henry Raeburn (1756–1823) had a tremendously successful career as a portrait painter in the late 18th…
Read MoreCulloden battlefield broadsword to be auctioned by Bonhams
A sword found at the site of Battle of Culloden is to be put up for auction. Fought in 1746 it was the final engagement of the Jacobite Rising in which the forces loyal to the Young Pretender, Bonnie Price Charlie, were defeated by British forces led by the Duke of Cumberland. The 18th century…
Read MoreDrew Pritchard: Scottish works go under the hammer from Salvage Hunters star’s private collection
A Royal coat of Arms of Scotland made by renowned Scottish innovator Walter MacFarlane could fetch £5,000 when it goes up for auction. The early 20th century coat of arms is from the private collection of antiques expert Drew Pritchard who stars on hit TV show Salvage Hunters. The Lion Rampant was historically used by…
Read MoreHarry Potter book found in Highland bookshop sells for £55k
A first edition of Harry Potter , which was bought for a tenner in 1997 , has sold for an eye-watering £55,104 at auction. The hardback copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the first book in JK Rowling’s stories about a boy wizard, was picked up by a woman found the book during…
Read MoreHarry Potter book found in Highland bookshop sells for £55k
A first edition of Harry Potter, which was bought for a tenner in 1997, has sold for an eye-watering £55,104 at auction. The hardback copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the first book in JK Rowling’s stories about a boy wizard, was picked up by a woman who found the book during a…
Read MoreRare photos of the Beatles in Scotland sell for nearly £10k
A collection of never-before-seen photos of the Beatles performing in Scotland sold for nearly £10,000 at auction. The 50 black and white pictures were taken during a show in Dundee on 20 October 1964. In one of the pictures drummer Ringo plays the piano with a cigarette in his mouth while Paul has a go…
Read MoreFancy owning a 40 million year old crocodile?
THE fossil of a 40 million-year-old crocodile is coming up for auction next week in Glasgow. The ancient croc is one of nearly 200 fossils going under the hammer at McTear’s “Cabinet of Curiosities” auction on 10 August. The collection as assembled by a retired geologist based in the Highlands. It includes a fossilised crocodilian…
Read More