Few images in art history have captivated the world like Under the Wave Off Kanagawa, more commonly known as The Great Wave. Created by Katsushika Hokusai in the early 1830s, this masterpiece of Japanese woodblock printing has become a global icon, influencing artists and collectors for nearly two centuries. This piece is a rare, early impression of Hokusai’s famous creation and features on its reverse inked guidelines that hint at its intended transformation into a folding fan.

Katsushika HokusaiUnder the Wave Off Kanagawa (The Great Wave), circa 1831
Auction: March 20

The finer of just two known examples, this circa 1860 Brooklyn Atlantics card is possibly the only team baseball card printed before the American Civil War. The card features the Atlantic Base Ball Club of Brooklyn, an organization considered the game’s first champion and dynasty. The Atlantics served as a founding member of the sport’s first organized league, the National Association of Base Ball Players, and held the championship from 1859 through the war-shortened season of 1861.

Circa 1860 Brooklyn Atlantics Farach & Lalumia Studio CDV SGC VG 3
Auction: March 29

When the S.S. Central America sank off the coast of South Carolina in September 1857, 425 passengers and crew members went down with the ship, as did one of the largest cargos of gold ever lost at sea. Known as the Ship of Gold, the sidewheel steamer sank in a hurricane, taking with it tons of gold, including this 1855-S double eagle graded MS61 by Professional Coin Grading Service. The coin is from the initial S.S. Central America shipwreck finds.

1855-S $20 Large S, Variety 14-F, MS61 PCGS
Auction: April 3-6