Sotheby's

This is the second part of our overview of the 2021 auction year – a year where investors channeled more of their wealth into “investments of passion” than ever before. It covers the 150 science, sci-fi and technology artifacts that sold for more than $100,000

The 2021 auction market was quite extraordinary, with unprecedented levels of participation and sales. From cars to colt revolvers to multi-million-dollar NFTs, this sweeping look at the highlights is full of fascinating tales and astonishing prices.

It would be reasonable to expect a slow year at auction for science, technology and science-fiction, but 2021 is on track for a record, with a slew of knowledge-related objects of note hitting the auction block in recent weeks.

Last week was a big week in space exploration, with the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, and some significant sales of space memorabilia, including US$746,000 for an Apollo Guidance Computer (the brain behind the Lunar landing).

A previously unknown first edition copy of Nicolas Copernicus’ landmark scientific text, De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres), has sold at auction for £277,200 ($391,767).

Michael Jordan was unquestionably a once in a lifetime athlete. His outrageous gravity-defying achievements on the basketball court helped him rewrite the rules of athletic merchandise and now he is creating his own new reality on the auction block.

The only remaining bottle of the world’s oldest cognac goes to auction next week, and will almost certainly set a new record. The 258-year-old Gautier cognac was distilled during the reign of Louis XV, almost three decades before the French Revolution.

A sibling of the first Rolex Submariner watch worn in the 007 thriller films is being auctioned by Sotheby's. The "James Bond" Rolex Submariner Reference 6538 is not only the same model as that first worn by actor Sean Connery in Dr No, it's also a much sought after collectible in its own right.

The Goldtop 1957 Gibson Les Paul​ guitar which Duane Allman used to record "Layla" alongside Eric Clapton, has sold for US$1.25 million at auction, becoming only the seventh guitar in history to sell for more than US$1,000,000.

The month of July, 2019 will be a bumper one for the number of landmark scientific artifacts heading for auction. Three Christie's auctions and a Sotheby's auction have a stellar array of landmark scientific items, some of them estimated to sell for quite affordable amounts.

The only bits of the Moon available for private sale sold at auction at Sotheby's in New York today for US$855,000. The three small shards of lunar rock were a gift to the widow of Sergei Pavlovich Korolev, the “Chief Designer” and director of the Soviet space program.

2017 was a spectacular year for the auction of historical and storied objects. The world's most valuable painting, gemstone, earrings, wristwatch and religious document changed hands, but as usual scant regard was paid to the landmark scientific texts which underpin mankind's understanding.