Sale Preview: July 29th

Two Neil Armstrong signatures will raise eyebrows in Michael Bowman's 2pm auction at Chudleigh Town Hall next Saturday 29th July.  The local vendor's late husband worked for the building block manufacturers, Thermalite, who in February 1985 had the 'first man on the moon' as their celebrity guest at a Savoy luncheon.  Her husband brought along his  two 16 year-old copies of the Birmingham Post, determined to have them signed.  One is the preview to the momentous landing when Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the surface of the moon on July 21st 1969, the second is a review of this illustrious achievement.  Each is estimated at £300-400.

Jewellery will be led by the certified 2.52 carat E colour diamond solitaire, VS1 clarity, which comes with a Belgian lab report and expectations of £12,000-15,000.  A stunning Art Deco diamond set platinum brooch is unsigned, but sits so snugly into its Cartier box, that it is quite likely to have come from their workshops.  It boasts a central old cut stone weighing approximately 1.3 carats and is speculatively estimated at £6,000-9,000.  An early 20th century certified natural 3.29 carat Ceylon sapphire & diamond set platinum cluster ring invites bids of £1,500-2,000.

A 1966 Rolex Submariner model 5513 has had only one owner since new and was engraved with his name on the back when presented as a gift from his father.  The gloss black dial and absence of a date indicator are features of early Submariners and bids of £8,000-12,000 are anticipated for this collector's timepiece.

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