A fine 1867 first issue of The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, Samuel Clemens’ first book, which made $28,000 (£22,045) among the Insley Blair books sold by Christie’s New York.
In 2003, in the same rooms, another first made $38,000 (then £24,205), but in 2004, as part of Sotheby’s New York sale of the Neville library, $95,000 (then £53,200) was paid for a less well preserved but splendid presentation copy.