Webb’s Hotly Contested Material Culture Auction Sets International Record

Webb’s held an auction of Material Culture this week.

• The sale of a complete set of Cook's voyages in first editions at Webb's last evening has achieved a new record, realising an astonishing figure of $130,350. This far surpasses its estimate between $50,000 - $80,000.
• The previous record was set at Christies auction house in London in December 2017 where a complete set of first editions sold for 43,750 pounds sterling (NZD$90,900). Complete sets of first editions rarely come up for sale. In January 2022, a mixed set of second and third editions was sold in Philadelphia for $USD$31,200 (NZD$47,000).
• This makes our sale is the second highest price fetched at auction for a set of Cook’s Voyages first editions.
• The highest price was set in 2014 for: Cook, James, Capt., 1728-79, Three Voyages - [Set of Hawkesworth, South Pole & Pacific Ocean] with Sotheby's, Mar 27, 2014, lot 286, £75,000 (US$125,588)

For more information, visit webbs.co.nz.

Webb’s, still making history since 1976.

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