Three choice lots from upcoming Heritage auctions
Photographs
This charming photo of author A.A. Milne with his son, Christopher Robin Milne, was taken the same year his sensational children’s classic Winnie-the-Pooh was first published. Fittingly, Christopher Robin is holding the original “silly old bear,” which is now housed in the New York Public Library. When the photographer, Howard Coster, opened his first studio in London, Milne was one of his first customers. Though the original gelatin silver print is now housed in the National Portrait Gallery in London, the image was reproduced multiple times and distributed to the public.
A.A. Milne Signed Photograph by Howard Coster
Studio print, 8.625 x 9.875 inches (222 x 248 mm), arched top
Undated, but circa 1926
Auction: July 8
Fine Minerals
Teller County, Colorado, is one of the most fertile areas in the United States for producing fine minerals and includes Smoky Hawk, an active mining claim that has yielded a stunning array of treasures since production began in 2000. Within the mineral-rich Smoky Hawk mine, the Icon Pocket yields minerals that regularly generate high demand among serious collectors, including this world-class specimen featuring a gorgeous smoky quartz crystal surrounded by a dynamic cluster of amazonite crystals in a range of rich green-blue hues.
Amazonite, Smoky Quartz (Significant Specimen)
Icon Pocket, Smoky Hawk Claim, Crystal Peak, Teller County, Colorado, USA
25.0 x 20.7 x 12.5 cm (9.84 x 8.15 x 4.92 inches)
Auction: July 11
Sports Cards
Luka Dončić has established himself as one of the brightest stars in the NBA; so, too, this coveted card featuring the man called El Matador during his rookie season. Numbered to 99 and featuring a jersey patch and autograph, this example is tied for the highest-graded copy of what many consider his most desirable rookie issue. It’s hard to believe this hotshot, who nabbed the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in 2019, is only 24 – with five full seasons under his belt.
2018 Panini National Treasures Luka Dončić (Rookie Patch Autographs) No. 127
BGS Gem Mint 9.5, Auto 10, Numbered 86/99
Auction: July 14-15