Dickens originals to go under the hammer in Wolverhampton
An auction house has Great Expectations for a number of Dickens' original works that will go on sale.
Cuttlestones Auctioneers and Valuers, of Clarence Street, Wolverhampton, will auction off 20 Charles Dickens novels including a number of rare first editions, in its Specialist Collectors' Sale on Friday.
The collection was put together in the early 20th century and has been inherited by its current owners.
Dickens is among one of the most published authors in history —his popular novels have never gone out of print, and have been reproduced in numerous editions.
However, first edition examples of his work are particularly hard to come by, making them especially sought after by collectors.
First editions of some of his most popular books are expected to achieve far greater figures — often due to interesting oddities that were ironed out in subsequent editions.
A prime example is the edition of Oliver Twist, or 'Oliver Twist or the Parish Boy's Progress', to give it the title it was first published under in 1837.
Dickens didn't see the illustrations within the original book until the last minute and disliked what became known as the 'fireside plate', a picture towards the end of volume three.
But some copies of the original remain, with Dickens using the name 'Boz' as an alias.
Despite not being in their original covers, having been rebound, this rare edition of Oliver Twist remains an important example of Dickens' early work and carries a guide price of £800 to £1,200.
A first edition of 'A Christmas Carol' also features in the lot, carrying an estimate of £3,000 to £5,000.
The book is accepted to be a first edition as it has blue and red printing on the title page, green coloured endpapers, the date given in Roman numerals and the title 'Stave I' rather than 'Stave one' on the first text page.
Full details of all the books set to come under the hammer in the specialist collectors' sale will be available in the online catalogue at www.cuttlestones.co.uk.
Viewing will take place on the morning of the sale and the day prior until 7pm.
Commission, telephone and live online bidding via the-saleroom.com are available to those unable to attend the sale in person.
