In a stunning moment for history and collectors alike, the oldest inscribed tablet of the Ten Commandments has achieved an extraordinary $5 million price tag at Sothebyโs New York, far exceeding its pre-auction estimate of $1-2 million. The artifact, a singular treasure from the Late Roman-Byzantine era (ca. 300-800 CE), is believed to be the only complete stone inscription of the commandments surviving from antiquity.
A dazzling relic from music history is about to command the global stage. The Joachim-Ma Stradivarius, a violin crafted in 1714 during Antonio Stradivari’s legendary “Golden Period,” is poised to set hearts racing when it goes under the hammer at Sothebyโs in February 2025. With a jaw-dropping estimate of $12โ18 million, this rare masterpiece promises not only to rewrite auction records but also to transform the future of classical music education.
A baggy green cricket cap worn by Sir Donald Bradman during the 1947-48 Test series against India, a season marking significant milestones in cricket history, has sold for AU$479,700 ($310,719 USD) at a Bonhams Sydney auction. This iconic piece of memorabilia, tied to Bradmanโs record-breaking career and a pivotal moment in Australia’s cricketing heritage, was purchased by a private collector who plans to keep it within the country. The sale highlights the enduring global fascination with Bradman, whose unmatched batting average of 99.94 cements his legacy as the greatest cricketer of all time.
A banana duct-taped to a wall has just sold for $6.2 million at Sothebyโs in New York, an event hailed by art critics as a record-breaking triumph. But as headlines celebrate this bizarre spectacle of wealth, one must confront an unsettling parallel: every year, 6.2 million children die from starvation, mostly in Africa. Thatโs over 17,000 children a day. While crypto millionaires and provocateurs play with their money in the name of โart,โ over 700 million people around the world go to bed hungry. Thereโs something deeply rotten in our global culture when a piece of duct tape and a banana is valued more than the lives of millions dying from preventable causes.
In an unprecedented moment for numismatic history, a rare 1652 Massachusetts silver threepence, about the size of a modern nickel, sold for an astonishing $2.52 million in an auction conducted by Stackโs Bowers Galleries. This sale marked a new world record for any coin struck in the American colonies before the American Revolution, surpassing the previous high of $646,250 by nearly $2 million. Additionally, this threepence set a new benchmark for any non-gold coin produced prior to the founding of the U.S. Mint.
In a landmark moment for art history, a 14th-century Sarghitmish mosque lamp from Egypt has shattered records, fetching an extraordinary ยฃ5,130,400 ($6.56 million) at Bonhamsโ Islamic and Indian Art Sale in London on November 12, 2024. The sale attracted intense competition both in the room and via phone bidders, solidifying the lamp’s status as the most expensive glass object ever sold at auction. Initially estimated at ยฃ600,000-1,000,000 ($785,000-1,300,000), the lamp’s final price far exceeded expectations.
A piece of rock and roll history is hitting the auction block as Elvis Presleyโs 1977 Cadillac Seville, one of the last cars the King of Rock and Roll ever purchased, goes up for a rare sealed-bid auction with Bonhams|Cars. This customized Cadillac, featuring a powerful 5.7-liter V8 engine and fitted with a CB radio for private communication within Graceland, reflects Presleyโs larger-than-life persona and unique style. Authenticated by Graceland and still bearing his name on the title, the car offers collectors a chance to own a personal artifact from Elvisโs final years. Bidding opens on November 4, inviting fans and collectors alike to pursue this exceptional piece of cultural history.
One of the world’s most exclusive Japanese whisky collections, the Hanyu Ichiro Malt Full โCardโ Series, is set to be auctioned in Paris this November. Expected to fetch between $750,000 and $1.28 million, the collection features 54 bottles, each representing a playing card and signed by master distiller Ichiro Akuto. Known for setting record-breaking prices, Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr will host this online auction from November 12 to 29, offering collectors a rare opportunity to acquire a complete set of this historic Japanese whisky.
The collection of famed Irish musician Rory Gallagher reached an extraordinary milestone at Bonhams New Bond Street auction house this October, where every item offered was sold. Leading the sale was Gallagherโs legendary 1961 Fender Stratocaster, which fetched a remarkable ยฃ889,400 ($1,156,793). The guitar, which Gallagher famously purchased for ยฃ100 on credit from Crowleyโs Music Store in Cork in 1963, has become an icon in rock history for its worn look and unmistakable sound.
In a landmark auction event, a medallion featuring the original mold used in Alexander Flemingโs groundbreaking discovery of penicillin sold for a record $76,000 at Bonhams History of Science and Technology sale in New York on October 23. The medallion, one of a select few made by Fleming himself, was inscribed with the words: โThe mould that first made penicillin / Alexander Fleming.โ
