Rare. Remarkable.

Dr. Lawrence E. Miller, an orthopedic surgeon and psychiatrist for more than 60 years, began collecting autographs in 1960 by writing to “the people that changed the world.” In his quest for confirmation of political perspectives and historical relevance, Dr. Miller sought out and personally met many US presidents, foreign heads of state, and other famous dignitaries who gladly signed his books. As his collection grew over the decades, he shared his long-time passion for reading and studying history with his family and friends. Dr. Miller routinely spoke to his four children and eleven grandchildren of the rich history and majesty of America as a way to ensure the passage of a legacy that highlighted his thirst for learning.

This specially curated sale features more than 500 lots from Dr. Miller’s collection, highlighted by books signed by presidents including George Washington; documents by signers of the Declaration of Independence; a wealth of Supreme Court justices; and leading figures of world history such as Oliver Cromwell, Mohandas Gandhi, and Deng Xiaoping. Extraordinary in depth and breadth, Dr. Miller’s stands as one of the finest private collections we have had the privilege to offer.

The 1956 set is undoubtedly one of the finest Topps ever made—from a design standpoint, it offers everything you could want in a baseball card: the oversized cards (2 5/8˝ by 3 3/4˝) feature colorful, vivid portraits of the players against exciting action-shot backgrounds, embellished by their facsimile signatures. The set was the first to introduce team cards and checklists, marked the return of Mickey Mantle to the Topps family after a four-year hiatus, and was the last released in this larger-format size. Packed with mid-century star power—Ted Williams, Ernie Banks, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Sandy Koufax, and Willie Mays are among the top names here—the 1956 Topps baseball card set is a true classic.

What makes this complete set auction unique is the consistently high grades of the cards—nearly all are graded PSA MINT 9. The only exceptions are eight cards which have been graded as GEM MINT 10, and thirteen as NM-MT 8. A staggering number stand as the finest graded examples, with none graded higher. As a whole, this set currently ranks as #3 on the PSA Set Registry for the 1956 Topps ‘Basic’ set, and as #2 for the 1956 Topps ‘Master’ set. By offering this high-end set one by one, dozens of collectors will be afforded the opportunity to upgrade sets of their own.

Population report data referenced throughout this catalog is as of March 1, 2020.

RR Auction’s spring Marvels of Modern Music sale brings to market 400+ lots of rare and remarkable material, highlighted by performance used gear: Dee Dee Ramone’s Fender Precision bass, Prince’s Yamaha synthesizer from the Purple Rain Tour, Sib Hashian’s drum kit from Boston’s ‘More Than a Feeling’ video, and a Fender amp used on stage by John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Elephant’s Memory Band. Other top items include albums signed by Led Zeppelin, The Who, Pink Floyd, and The Rolling Stones; ultra-rare Beatles ephemera; and autographs from dozens of the most popular musicians of the 20th century.