Lot 187 · Books, Maps, Manuscripts and Historical Photographs
The Importance of Being Earnest. A Trivial Comedy for Serious People, NUMBER 13 OF 100 LARGE PAPER COPIES SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR, PRESENTATION COPY FROM WILDE TO MAJOR JAMES NELSON, inscribed on the verso of the half-title "To Major Nelson: from the author. A trivial recognition of great and noble kindness. Feb: 99",, Leonard Smithers, 1899
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- Estimate
- £40,000–£60,000 hammer ≈ $67,773–$101,659
- Result
- Performance
- Sale
- Bonhams — Books, Maps, Manuscripts and Historical Photographs, London, Knightsbridge · 18 June 2014
- Record ID
- TB-2026-1995262
- Record
- first seen 25 Jul 2026 · updated 25 Jul 2026 · source ↗
- Cite this record
- TB-2026-1995262 — https://thebasis.art/cite/TB-2026-1995262
Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest. A Trivial Comedy for Serious People, NUMBER 13 OF 100 LARGE PAPER COPIES SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR, PRESENTATION COPY FROM WILDE TO MAJOR JAMES NELSON, inscribed on the verso of the half-title "To Major Nelson: from the author. A trivial recognition of great and noble kindness. Feb: 99",, Leonard Smithers, 1899. Bonhams, 18 Jun 2014, lot 187. result recorded. TheBasis.Art, TB-2026-1995262.
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Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest. A Trivial Comedy for Serious People, NUMBER 13 OF 100 LARGE PAPER COPIES SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR, PRESENTATION COPY FROM WILDE TO MAJOR JAMES NELSON, inscribed on the verso of the half-title "To Major Nelson: from the author. A trivial recognition of great and noble kindness. Feb: 99",, Leonard Smithers, 1899. Bonhams, 18 Jun 2014, lot 187. result recorded. TheBasis.Art, TB-2026-1995262.
The citation omits the realized price because this record is not unlocked. Everything else in it is complete and permanent.
From the same sale Books, Maps, Manuscripts and Historical Photographs · Jun 2014
| Lot | Artist | Estimate | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| ROLFE (FREDERICK WILLIAM) 'Baron Corvo' Autograph manuscript signed (… | — | £4,000–£6,000 | |
| Asia, A. Arrowsmith, 1801 | Arrowsmith | £1,000–£1,500 | |
| [The Large English Atlas: or, a New Set of Maps of all the Countries … | Bowen | £2,500–£3,500 | |
| Bowles's New Medium English Atlas; or, Complete Set of Maps of the Co… | Bowles | £2,000–£3,000 | |
| Vitruvius Britannicus, or The British Architect, vol. 1-3, FIRST EDIT… | Campbell | £1,500–£2,000 | |
| Description de la grotte de Versailles, Paris, The Royal Printers: Se… | Felibien | £1,000–£2,000 |
Comparable results nearest sold works, same medium & price band
| Artist | Lot | vs. estimate | Result USD, incl. premium | Sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilde | Two autograph manuscripts, a working draft and a fair copy o | $81,587 | Bonhams, Feb 2026 | |
| Wilde | Salomé: drame en un acte, FIRST EDITION, [LIMITED TO 600 COP | Bonhams, Feb 2026 | ||
| Wilde | Autograph letter signed to Ada Leverson, [February 1895] | Bonhams, Feb 2026 | ||
| Wilde | Series of five autograph letters signed to J. Graham Hill, [ | Bonhams, Feb 2026 | ||
| Wilde | Autograph manuscript titled "Ballade de Marguerite", [n.d. b | Bonhams, Feb 2026 | ||
| Darwin | On the Origin of Species, FIRST EDITION, John Murray, 1859 | Bonhams, Mar 2023 | ||
| Wilde | Autograph letter signed to Beatrice Faudel-Phillips, [Novemb | Bonhams, Feb 2026 | ||
| Wilde | A Woman of No Importance, First Edition, [Limited to 500 Cop | Bonhams, Mar 2024 |
The closest sold results by price, artist, and medium — the appraiser's comp set, generated from the corpus. All figures converted to USD at current reference rates.