
A translation from the original German of a circumnavigation of the globe undertaken in the service of Alexander I of Russia, this untrimmed example in modern morocco backed boards sold well at £6800 in a Dominic Winter (19.5% buyer’s premium) auction of July 19-20.
Ten years ago, however, the Streeter copy was bid to $32,000 (then roughly £16,000) at Christie’s New York. In a presentation binding, it was one presented in 1826 by Alexander’s successor, Nicholas I, to Krusenstern. It marked his appointment to the Order of St Vladimir, effectively a Russian knighthood.