A remarkable set of Bob Dylan handwritten working lyrics from Blood on the Tracks sold for $290,404, leading an impressive group of historical, presidential, technological and pop-culture artifacts in RR Auction’s September 24, 2026 sale. The Dylan manuscript, featuring working lyrics for “Idiot Wind” and “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go,” carried an estimate of $250,000+ and finished as the auction’s top results.
Bob Dylan Lyrics Lead at $290,404
Lot 5090, Dylan’s handwritten working lyrics from Blood on the Tracks, realized $290,404 including buyer’s premium. The manuscript relates to two songs from Dylan’s celebrated 1975 album: “Idiot Wind” and “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go.” Estimated at $250,000+, the piece exceeded that benchmark by more than $40,000.
Edgar Allan Poe Letter Soars to $206,266
An Edgar Allan Poe autograph letter signed was another standout, selling for $206,266 against an estimate of $100,000+. The letter concerns the postponement of a journal because of Poe’s illness and includes the statement that the first issue was being delayed “owing to the severe and continued illness of Mr. Poe.” The result was more than double the lot’s $100,000 estimate.
Lincoln Signed Portrait Reaches $149,020
An Abraham Lincoln signed carte-de-visite portrait brought $149,020, nearly twice its $75,000+ estimate. The portrait had been donated in 1864 to benefit a Union soldiers’ aid society, adding significant Civil War-era historical context to the signed image.
Sealed First-Generation iPhone Brings $94,791
Collectors also showed strong demand for early technology. A sealed first-generation Apple iPhone with 4GB of storage sold for $94,791. The rare model had been estimated at $50,000+. The result placed the iPhone alongside major historical manuscripts as one of the sale’s highest priced pieces.
Abigail Adams Letter Crushes Estimate
One of the auction’s biggest performances relative to estimate came from an Abigail Adams autograph letter signed. Estimated at $15,000+, the letter realized an impressive $94,660, more than six times the stated estimate. The letter contains Adams’ reflective line: “Time has not yet so silvered over my Locks, but that I can remember, ‘I once was young.’”
Declaration of Independence Print Sells for $73,761
A circa-1833 Declaration of Independence force print from William J. Stone’s copperplate realized $73,761. The historically important printing had carried a $25,000+ estimate and ultimately sold for nearly three times that figure.
George H.W. Bush Baseball Card Commands $67,499
An unusual piece combining presidential history with sports-card collecting also attracted significant bidding. A 1990 Topps #USA1 George Bush White House Issue baseball card sold for $67,499 against an estimate of $50,000+. The lot was accompanied by the notable message, “Here is a Topps card for your Bush display.”
Early Video Game Archive Reaches $62,491
An archive containing more than 100 Nutting Associates and Midway engineering schematics and factory documents realized $62,491. The material relates to important early video games including Space Invaders, Sea Wolf, Gun Fight, Wizard of Wor and Wimbledon. The archive had been estimated at $50,000+.
Churchill D-Day Letter Brings $56,863
A World War II-dated Winston Churchill “Most Secret” typed letter signed to Bernard Montgomery sold for $56,863. Dated April 1944, the correspondence concerns Operation Overlord and the upcoming Normandy invasion. The historically significant document carried a $50,000+ estimate.
Francis Marion Document Nears 10 Times Estimate
One of the strongest estimate-beating results came from a 1781 Revolutionary War document signed by Francis Marion, the famed “Swamp Fox.” The document, concerning the procurement of beef for Marion’s brigade during its campaign against British forces, was estimated at just $6,000+. It ultimately realized $56,369, more than nine times its stated estimate.
All reported prices include buyer’s premium.
The results demonstrated strong collector demand across several categories, with Dylan’s music history, Poe and Lincoln material, early Apple technology, presidential collectibles and Revolutionary War documents all producing notable prices.
Perhaps most impressive were the results for the Abigail Adams and Francis Marion documents. While Dylan produced the highest dollar result at $290,404, the Adams letter and Marion document dramatically outperformed their pre-auction expectations, underscoring continued demand for historically significant manuscripts and autographs.
For complete auction results visit RR Auction here.
