Our specialist Chris Moore is appealing to owners of private libraries and book collections to consider selling them in the company’s next books, coins and stamps auction on December 10.
31/10/2025
Chris Moore, books specialist at Halls Fine Art in Shrewsbury, is keen to add to his section of the auction, with entries closing on Friday, November 7.
He will be available to provide free valuations at the company’s Battlefield headquarters on Monday, November 3 and at other times by appointment. Mr Moore may be contacted at Halls Fine Art on Tel: 01743 450700.
Already consigned to the December 10 auction are two early bibles, including a Geneva version dated 1611 valued at £800 to 1,200. The bible is in quarto format and still in its contemporary binding of blind-stamped calf with brass corners and centre bosses.
The other bible is a large folio King James bible, printed at The Theatre, Oxford in 1685. This heavy book, bound in contemporary diced calf over thick wooden boards, is valued at £400 to £600.
Also consigned are a large quantity of Folio Society books and several boxes of fine leather bindings.
At the company’s previous books, coins and stamps auction in August, part of an autograph letter by famous Shrewsbury naturalist Charles Darwin (1809-‘82) sold for £2,100. The letter was included in an album bought at the sale of the contents of Boynton Hall, near Bridlington in the 1950s.
A rare ticket for the coronation of George III in Westminster Abbey, London on September 22, 1761 sold for £2,200, a 1963 first edition of ‘The Collector’ by John Fowles’ with a long inscription on the front endpaper from the author, sold for £1,450 and a collection of eight books signed by Fowles achieved £550.
Reflecting on the current books market, Chris said: “Books and letters by Charles Darwin are always sought-after and J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings books are also much in demand and can achieve very high prices.
“Manuscripts and ephemera are always popular, as witnessed by the ticket for the coronation of George III in 1761 which sold for £2,200.
“We are always keen to sell private libraries and book collections at Halls Fine Art. We have handled a number of libraries in the past and have achieved consistently good results for rare and collectable books, manuscripts and ephemera.”
For a free valuation get in touch with the team on +44 (0)1743 450 700 or email fineart@hallsgb.com
+44 (0)1743 450 700
fineart@hallsgb.com
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