Bidding on an autograph by Ludwig van Beethoven stands at $18,997 at RR Auction.
It's expected to make $30,000-40,000 when the auction closes on December 9.
 Beethoven autographs are few in number |
The signature appears on the reverse of a note written by the composer's lawyer, Dr Johann Baptist von Bach.
It reads: "You can keep the bow for the coming half year. Otherwise, one might raise some objections. From 1st October 1818 until 1st April 1819."
The lot was given to one Elizabeth Schmertzer by Anton Schindler, Beethoven's former secretary, in 1855.
The auction record for a piece of Beethoven memorabilia is $3.4m, set for a handwritten copy of his Ninth Symphony in 2003.
A drawing produced by Joseph Stalin's daughter Svetlana Alliluyeva "Setanka" during the 1930s is valued at $20,000-30,000.
Stalin has written: "Good. Excellent! Secr. of Setanka, I. Stalin" across the top. This is in reference to a family joke.
Stalin referred to his daughter as Housekeeper Setanka in his letters and portrayed himself as her long-suffering secretary.
The lot offers a fascinating insight into the family life of one of history's most infamous dictators.
Svetlana defected to the US in 1967, causing a furore in her home nation. She was highly critical of her father's legacy and of the regime, only returning for a couple of years in the mid-1980s.
You can see all our autographs for sale by clicking here.
Please sign up to our free newsletter to receive exciting news about autograph auctions.
