NEW YORK, NY.- Christie’s annual sale of Important Americana totaled $8,320,684, selling 143 percent hammer and buyer’s premium against low estimate, with 84 percent of lots sold. More than one in four buyers and bidders in the sale was new to Americana at Christie’s and 10 percent of all buyers and bidders were Millennials. Collectors competed for lots in all the many types of objects that fall into the varied categories that comprise Americana. The top lot of the sale was the first-ever of its kind to appear on the market, a handwritten copy of the Declaration of Independence dated from the 18th century, the Jones Declaration of Independence, which made $2,470,000.


Unlock the secrets of the universe: Explore the groundbreaking discoveries of Johannes Kepler, the astronomer who revolutionized our understanding of the cosmos.


The Head of Americana, Cara Zimmerman, said: “Americana showed its strength today in everything from important Newport furniture to historic documents, folk portraiture, and silver. We are thrilled that more than a quarter of the bidders and buyers in the sale were new to Americana; a sign of the long-term stability of our market.”

Among the other lots that achieved top results were: The Jabez Bowen Chippendale carved mahogany block-and-shell bureau table, which made $441,000; a copy after Emanuel Leutze’s iconic Washington Crossing the Delaware, which brought $403,200; a Magnificent Queen Anne Armchair that realized $226,800; a first-of-its kind two-sided portrait by Ammi Phillips, which made $214,200; a Queen Anne mahogany tray-top tea table that sold for more than eight times its low estimate for $252,000. Another that went far above its low estimate – more than four times – and excited a great deal of interest in the 49th state in the Union was The Alaska Railroad: An American Presentation 14k Gold Railroad Spike, which Christie’s sold for $201,600. Christie’s is pleased to report that this important piece of Alaska history was purchased for the Anchorage Museum and the City of Nenana with the help of private donations. The Anchorage Museum and the City of Nenana will alternate exhibiting the spike. “We are honored that Christie's was entrusted with the sale of this important part of Alaska history,” said a Christie’s Silver Specialist, Christopher June, “the fact that it will be available to the people of the state, which is my home state, makes this even better."

Christie’s Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts including Americana concluded after two weeks of competitive bidding, totaling $5,242,860. The total was 173 percent sold by hammer plus buyers premium, and 86 percent sold by lot, with bidders and buyers participating from 28 nations worldwide. In a sign of this category’s continued strength, 24 percent of bidders and buyers were new to book sales at Christie’s. The sale featured scientific works from two important collections. The top lot of the auction came from the Owen Gingerich Astronomical Library: Johannes Kepler’s Astronomia nova realized $327,600. Other top lots from the Gingerich library included: Kepler’s Mysterium cosmographicum, which set a new world record at $277,200; the Stellarum Fixarum Catologus Britannicus of John Flamsteed, which realized $176,400; and Nicolaus

Copernicus’s De revolutionibus orbium coelestium, which made $163,800. A top lot also came from Incunabula from the Collection of Eugene S. Flamm: Pliny the Elder’s Historia naturalis, in Italian, which made $201,600. Among the 20th century offerings were top lots that included the Annette Campbell-White copy of James Joyce’s masterpiece, Ulysses, signed by Joyce, which brought $138,600; and a lot that excited worldwide interest, Marlon Brando’s annotated partial script for The Godfather, which fetched $30,240.


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