RR Auction Features New Assortment of Artifacts

Boston-based RR Auction opened bids on a new auction this summer with “Fine Autographs and Artifacts” on July 22^nd. The auction opening also saw the release of their catalog, which presents photographs of all available items with detailed descriptions of their histories and backstories. A unique assortment of rare documents and artifacts range from documents from early America to literary rarities from around the world.

The highlights of the featured items include:

·         A Revolutionary War era letter written by John Adams dated 1777, addressing General James Warren and discussing the creation of the Articles of Confederation. He mentions the victory at the Battle of Saratoga. This rare and authentic letter is estimated to be sold at auction for $30,000+.

·         A letter written by Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien on September 4^th, 1968 to the artist Mary Fairburn, who had painted various scenes from the famous trilogy and mailed them to him. He suggests that if an illustrated edition of the books do not happen, he will privately purchase several of them from her. Her pencil sketches accompany the purchase of the letter. This rare literary document is estimated to be sold at auction for roughly $13,000+.

·         A dark leather-brimmed baseball cap once worn by and belonging to the American author Ernest Hemingway, in good condition, with quite valuable wear considering it was worn by the head of a literary great. This rare cap is estimated to be sold at auction for $9,000.

·         A letter written and signed by Nelson Mandela on personal letterhead while he was still president, dated April 29, 1999 and addressed to activist Helen Suzman. He describes the bold struggles of the South African people and lays out what is necessary for the country. This letter is estimated to be sold at auction for $2,000.

·         A bold ink signature belonging to the revolutionary scientist Charles Darwin, signed July 6th 1870 on off-white paper. This rare signature is estimated to be sold at auction for $2800.

Bids on all lots close on August 10^th, so be sure to check out their galleries on RR Auction’s website.

For continued updates on rare and historic documents and artifacts in upcoming auctions, please also follow RR Auction’s Twitter at https://twitter.com/rrauction and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/rrauction/.