An incredibly rare document signed by the British king Richard III has sold well as part of Nate D Sanders' latest auction, which closed on April 2.
 Richard III signed documents are incredibly rare, with only three known to have auctioned in the last 30 years |
As one of less than a dozen known to exist, many of which are in institutional collections, the document raised an impressive $52,417, though fell short of its $75,000-125,000 valuation.
The high estimate can be attributed to the timing of the sale, with the discovery of the king's remains in a Leicestershire car park in February expected to boost bids.
The document, a letter sent to settle a land dispute between a group of Westmorland councillors and the 2nd Earl of Westmorland, sees Richard requesting that they do so quietly "so that neyther parties have cause to sue unto us for remedy in that behalve herafter."
It was sent in the time before Richard became king, and is therefore signed "R. Gloucestre" as the lord president of the Council of the North, a council organised by his brother Edward IV, which sought to exert greater governmental control over northern England.
Only three such Richard III-signed documents have been brought to auction in the last 30 years, making this an exceedingly rare opportunity for bidders. It is highly valued as it shows Richard's growing power, which came as a result of his brother's accession to the throne.
Find out why the recent Richard III revelations matter for the collectibles sector.
We have a magnificent selection of historical manuscripts for sale from some of Britain's most iconic and notorious monarchs.
This Henry VIII signed document is unusually large for a document from the tyrannous king. We also have a spectacular example from the fiercely independent Elizabeth I, which is accompanied by the majestic Great Seal of the Realm.
