Mercurius - photo 1
Mercurius - photo 2
Mercurius - photo 3

Mercurius

Lot 88
28.01.2025 10:00UTC -05:00
Classic
Sold
$ 37 800
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUSA, New York
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1360804
Lot 88 | Mercurius
Estimate value
$ 30 000 – 50 000
HEVELIUS, Johann (1611-1687). Mercurius, in sole visus Gedani. Danzig: Simon Reiniger, 1662.

First edition, uncut, of the Polish astronomer's observations of the 3 May 1661 transit of Mercury, followed by the first published description of the 24 November 1639 transit of Venus by the short-lived English astronomer Jeremiah Horrocks. Horrocks (1618-1641) was the first astronomer to observe a transit (or conjunction with the sun) of Venus, an event that he had predicted through close study and correction of Kepler's tables. His observations enabled him to make the first accurate calculations of the diameter of Venus and of the constants of its orbit. This was the first of any of Horrock's manuscripts to be published. Hevelius was renowned not only as an astronomer but also as an instrument maker, and is perhaps best-known for his detailed maps of the Moon. His works are notably rare: a fire at his house in September 1679 destroyed all of his various works published up to and including 1679. RBH records only 4 copies at auction in the past fifty years. Norman 1067.

Folio (390 x 235mm). Uncut, ten engraved plates by Hevelius (occasional light spotting). Later half calf over paper-covered boards (a little rubbed, some chipping to extremities). Provenance: Librairie Thomas Scheler, Paris (bookseller's ticket on front pastedown) – penciled numbers in margins of a few leaves — Owen Gingerich (bookplate).
Place of origin:Northern Europe
Auction house category:Printed books
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
20 Rockefeller Plaza
10020 New York
USA
Preview
14.01.2025 – 28.01.2025
Phone +1 212 636 2000
Fax +1 212 636 4930
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase
Shipping Postal service
Courier service
pickup by yourself
Payment methods Wire Transfer
Business hoursBusiness hours
Mo 09:30 – 17:00   
Tu 09:30 – 17:00   
We 09:30 – 17:00   
Th 09:30 – 17:00   
Fr 09:30 – 17:00   
Sa closed
Su closed

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.