Sherlock Holmes the original Macmillan Company brass plate celebrating Sherlock Holmes at the convention of The Baker Street Irregulars on the occasion of the publication of ‘221B – Studies in Sherlock Holmes’ by Vincent Starratt^ held in New York on January 30th 1940. The plate^ mounted on a wooden block^ measures approx 57x36cm^ and resembles a plate designed to print enormous currency bills^ because included on it is the Great Seal of the United States and the mystical Annuit Cœptis seal also found on the reverse of the US one-dollar bill. At the centre of the plate^ however^ is the unmistakable figure of Sherlock Holmes^ perhaps the most famous profile of the legendary detective – after Frederic Dorr Steele. Surrounding the Holmes portrait is the legend ‘Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – Literary Agent’ and two fingerprints engraved inside circular labels. Both say^ in the bottom half^ “Partner in Crime”; in their top halves^ the one to the left of Steele’s art has Vincent Starrett’s name^ the one to the right Harold S Latham’s. Latham was Trade Editor at MacMillan^ and presumably in 1933 also responsible there for publishing Starrett’s own Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. Also on the plate in ribbon like formations is engraved what presumably was the menu for the celebration meal held at the convention. In a smaller medallion below Steele’s art^ encompassing a Victorian shilling (not for another ten years a token of BSI membership)^ its circular label reading Allan M. Price above^ with the words “Holmes Maker” below. Where Starrett’s and Latham’s fingerprints were on the first plate^ are this time eight banners wrapping around columns near the left and right edges bearing the fancifully named dishes served at the 1940 BSI dinner^ couched in Holmesian terms such as ‘Oyster Cocktail Mycroft’ and ‘Boiled Potatoes Lestrade’. An ivory (?) plaque below the plate reads ‘With the Compliments of the MacMillan co^ 11th July 1940^ Toronto’. Three further statements are engraved on the bottom of the plate: the one at the left corner reads THE BROAD STREET IRREGULARS; in the centre: LAMBIE & BARROWMAN^ and at the right corner^ AMERICAN BANK NOTE Co. One of the first Baker Street Irregulars^ present at the 1940 dinner^ was an American Bank Note Co. executive named Allan Price. Its offices were at 70 Broad Street in New York’s financial district^ illuminating the “Broad Street Irregulars” statement. However the mention of Lambie and Barrowman^ key witnesses in a 1927 sensational murder case in which Conan Doyle took and interest^ continues to baffle scholars. This^ together with the further plate which forms the next lot^ is considered by Holmes devotees to be one of the most sought after artefacts relating to Holmes in the world. It lay unnoticed in a private collection until very recently^ and was exhibited at the BSI convention weekend in New York in January of this year. The Baker Street Irregulars is an American organisation of some of the world’s most significant and ardent Holmes devotees. The 1940 convention was attended by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s son^ Denis^ who was returning to Europe after concluding various lucrative film and literary deals in America based on his father’s books. The convention caused considerable controversy however^ when Denis Conan Doyle^ bemused by the fact that his father’s name had been hardly mentioned^ became extremely angry when he realised that the convention members believed the Holmes stories to be true^ and their author^ as reflected in the attribution on this plate^ was merely a literary agent selling Holmes’ works. This led to acrimonious litigation between the Conan Doyle estate and the BSI which lasted until the early 1950s. The full story and mystery surrounding these plates is discussed at length by Jo
The Clive Pavilion, Ludlow Racecourse
Bromfield
Ludlow, Shropshire
SY8 2BT
United Kingdom
20 May 2013 14:00 - 17:00 BST
21 May 2013 09:00 - 00:45 BST
Successful purchasers must notify the Auctioneers within 24 hours if you are making your own arrangements for collection. Collections must be made from the premises of Mullock Jones within 10 days of the auction. Mullock Jones reserves the right to levy a storage charge after 10 days at £1 per day for unpaid items and/or where shipping instructions have not been received.
Furthermore, if after 48 hours we have not heard from you, all items will automatically be packed for dispatch and charged at the purchaser’s expense.
Mullock Jones are not professional packers or shippers, and reserve the right to decline any packing or shipping request.
We can offer an in-house packing service for items being collected by privately arranged courier at a cost, we will also pack and dispatch lots for those bidders who are unable to collect their items in person.
In the case of items with a high value, complicated customs arrangements or for the need of highly specialised packing, we will recommend a third-party professional packer and shipper.
Mullock Jones will not be held responsible for any claim in the event of damage or loss to any item(s) once dispatched from the premises. We can assist on behalf of the purchaser to make a possible claim from the various couriers used, in the event of damage or loss, but cannot guarantee this.
Charges for this service will be made to cover all costs including labour, packing materials, storage, sourcing, documentation preparation, post office and courier collection and delivery, insurance and fuel surcharges. Please be aware larger, bulkier and more expensive items will attract further charges to cover the extra carriage and associated insurance costs.
VAT will be applied at the standard rate where applicable.
Please contact Mullock Jones for full details or to discuss your delivery options.
NOTE: All glass will be removed from framed and glazed items prior to posting and may result in delays to shipping your items. We can also totally remove all framing and mounts upon request to reduce shipping costs.
Firearms, weapons and bladed products are excluded from our shipping service, these must be collected and you will need to make your own arrangements. You must be over 18 and provide ID.
NOTE: The Offensive Weapons Act states that the sale of any “bladed article” or items that can potentially cause significant injury can now no longer be sent by post to a UK Residential private address.
CONDITIONS OF SALE
The highest bidder shall be The Purchaser, subject to the right of the Vendor to bid and the right of the Auctioneers to reject any bidding. If any dispute arises between two or more bidders, such dispute shall be finally settled by the Auctioneers, or at their discretion the Lot may be resold.
The Auctioneers have the full power to withdraw or alter any lot or lots he may think proper. The bidding will be regulated by the Auctioneers. No bidding shall be retracted.
The Auctioneers act as agents only. Each lot, as set out in the Catalogue or as divided or joined with any Lot or Lots at the Sale at the sole discretion of the Auctioneers, is sold with all faults, imperfections and errors of descriptions, and neither the Vendors nor the Auctioneers are responsible for the authenticity, attribution, genuiness, origin, authorship, date, age, period, condition of quality of any lot. All statements whether made orally or contained in any catalogue, advertising matter, or made in any manner as to any such matters, are statements of opinion and are not to be taken as or implying, statements or representation of fact. Purchasers are deemed to have satisfied themselves by inspection or otherwise, as to all such matters and as to the physical description of any lot. Neither the Vendor nor the Auctioneer make or give, nor has any person in the employ of the Auctioneers or Vendors any authority to make or give a representation or warranty, and in any event, neither the Vendor nor the Auctioneers are responsible for any statement howsoever made or expressed.
Until sold, each Lot shall be at the Vendor’s risk. On the fall of the hammer, such risk shall devolve upon the Purchaser. The Purchaser of each Lot shall immediately give the Auctioneer his or her full name and address and, if required, pay the purchase money of such Lot otherwise at the conclusion of the day’s sale. The Auctioneers on behalf of themselves and the Vendor shall have a lien on each Lot for the purchase money thereof until actual payment. Notwithstanding such lien and the right of possession aforesaid, the Auctioneers will not undertake any risk as regards any Lot, not liability whatever, as to preservation or delivery thereof.
Upon failure of complying with the above condition, the Auctioneers shall be at liberty to re-sell the Lot or Lots, whether by Public Auction or Private Sale on the premises or elsewhere and the deficiency, if any, together with all charges attending the same, shall be made good by the defaulter at this sale who shall have no claim to any surplus that may arise from each second sale.
Returns: It is the responsibility of the purchaser to ascertain the authenticity and condition of any lot prior to sale. Lots may only be returned by consent of the Auctioneers, and this consent will only be considered if the purchaser states reasons for default in writing within 10 days of the sale in the case of UK purchasers and 14 days in the case of overseas purchasers.
This right of return does not apply however to collections of ephemera, nor to items which are not named in the catalogue, stains, foxing, marginal wormholes nor other defects not affecting the completeness of the text NOR in respect of defects specifically mentioned in the catalogue entry at time of sale, nor in respect of lots sold for less than the £100 hammer price.
Notes for Internet Live Bidding
Conditions of Sale
By registering with www.the-saleroom.com and using the system to bid during the auction, you are agreeing to be bound by the auctioneers standard terms and conditions of sale as displayed on his website and in his printed catalogue.
Commission/Proxy Bids
Please check with the auctioneers to see if the-saleroom.com commission (proxy) bidding is enabled for this auction.
If the-saleroom.com is not enabled for commission bids, please contact the auctioneers office and leave bids there. The auctioneers will always attempt to execute your bids at the lowest possible price subject to their standard terms and conditions.
Proof of Identity
After you register with www.the-saleroom.com the auctioneers may contact you to establish proof of identity and address. The auctioneer will require credit/debit card details to be submitted as part of the registration process. In completing the bidder registration and providing your credit/debit card details and unless alternative arrangements are agreed with the auctioneer you
(i) authorise the auctioneer, if they so wish, to charge the credit/debit card given in part or full payment, including all fees, for items successfully purchased in the sale via the-saleroom.com, and
(ii) confirm that you are authorised to provide these credit/debit card details to the auctioneer through this site and agree that the auctioneer is entitled to ship the goods to the card holder name and cardholder address provided in fulfilment of the sale.
Amounts Payable by the Buyer
Any successful bid will be subject to a 3% service charge. The buyer will pay the hammer price plus any Value Added Tax (VAT) or General Sales Tax (GST) on hammer plus the auctioneer’s standard buyer’s premium plus the service charge plus UK VAT at 20% on the combined buyers premium and service charge.
VAT on hammer price is normally nil, but may be charged at 5% or 20% dependent upon the prior history of the item, its import status or vendor status. Non-EU buyers may be able to reclaim VAT on hammer upon evidence of export from the EU.
A summary of any VAT on hammer price (VAT/GST) and total buyers premium (including the service charge and VAT) payable can be found by clicking on the relevant lot number or lot image in the catalogue.
United Kingdom VAT Regulations
VAT at 20% is always payable on buyer’s premium and service charges whether or not items are being exported from the UK and whether or not items are being sold under temporary import regulations. There are to be no exceptions under a recent European Union (EU) Court of Justice ruling.
If the buyer is of the opinion that his items qualify for deduction of VAT then he should contact HM Revenue and Customs with the appropriate export/import documentation.
Internet Connections
the-saleroom.com technology allows the user to bid online at live auction events whatever kind of internet connection they use. With dial-up, users will in most situations be still able to bid online. With a broadband connection, users will in most situations be able to hear the auction so long as they have speakers attached to their pc.
IMPORTANT NOTICES
Entry
By catalogue only – which will be available on view day and day of sale.
Credit Cards
Payments made by credit cards, Visa and Mastercard only, and debit cards issued by overseas banks, are subject to a 2.5% surcharge plus VAT. Payments made by personal debit cards, issued by a UK bank, will not attract a surcharge.
Buyers Premium
A Buyers Premium is payable at 17% (exclusive of VAT) of the hammer price.
Condition Reports
It is our intention to carry out all condition reports prior to setting up day so notification as soon as possible is necessary.
Commission Bids
The Auctioneers are always pleased to advise clients and to execute bids on their behalf without extra charge.
All commission bids must be confirmed in writing or by facsimile transmission, and any commissions will be purchased at a price as low as other bidding allows.
COMMISSION BIDS WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTED ON RECEIPT OF CREDIT CARD DETAILS.
All commission bids must be received no later than 6 pm on the day prior to the auction. No commission bids will be accepted on the morning of the sale.
Successful purchasers must notify the Auctioneers within 48 hours with packing/collection instructions. After which time all items will be packed automatically and these charges will be passed on to the purchaser whether collected or shipped.
Storage Charges
Commission bidders please note that a storage charge will be levied after 10 days for items where shipping instructions have not been received and will be charged at a rate of £1 per day.
Telephone Bids
Telephone bids will only be accepted on individual lots with a price guide of £100 and above, and telephone bids must be registered with our office by 6pm on the day prior to the auction.
Estimates
The estimated prices printed in the catalogue are approximate prices expected to be realised excluding Buyers Premium. They are not definite. They are prepared well in advance of the sale and are subject to revision.
Postage and Packing
Although Mullock’s are not expert packers, we will pack and despatch lots for those bidders who cannot collect their items in person.
Charges will be made to cover all costs including labour, packing materials, storage, sourcing, documentation preparation, post office and courier collection & delivery, insurance and fuel surcharges.
Larger, bulkier and more expensive items will attract further charges to cover the extra carriage & insurance costs.
VAT will be applied at the standard rate where applicable.
Quotes for this service will not generally be provided for consignments that cost under £15 to pack and send.
NB: All glass will be removed from framed and glazed items prior to posting.
Buyer`s Premium 17% + VAT
Lots purchased online with the-saleroom.com will attract an additional charge for this service in the sum of 3% of the hammer price plus VAT at the rate imposed
Shipping:
Mullock`s are not expert packers, however we will oblige all bidders who wish us to pack ther items, charges will be made to cover all costs including insurance, storage, sourcing, packing materials, completion of documentation, labour and delivery to Post Office
NB: All glass will be removed from framed and glazed items prior to posting.
Following new rules from the Post Office we have reluctantly been forced to introduce a minimum postage and packing charge of £10 per consignment. Larger, bulkier and expensive items will attract further charges to cover the extra Post Office and insurance charges
Postage and packing quotes will not be given for parcels that cost under £15 to pack and send and will be sent insured and by the most economical way.