Mao Zedong Signed 'Little Red Book' and Rare George Washington Check Lead Sale 


One of the standout items in RR Auction's February Remarkable Rarities sale is a historic 'Little Red Book' signed by Mao Zedong during a momentous 1966 visit by Pakistan's Foreign Minister.

This first English edition of Mao's influential work, published in 1966, is set apart by its provenance - it was personally signed by Mao for the wife of Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Sharifuddin Pirzada, during a groundbreaking visit to China in October 1966 (estimate: $200,000). The accompanying dinner menu in the sale, signed by prominent Chinese officials, emphasises the diplomatic significance of Pirzada's visit during a tumultuous period (estimate: $40,000).

Also going under the hammer is a very rare check signed by George Washington during his presidency. This First Bank of the United States check, filled out by Treasury Secretary Oliver Wolcott Jr. and signed by President Washington, is one of only two known checks signed by Washington as president to ever come to market (estimate: $100,000).


There is also a significant letter by Karl Marx concerning Das Kapital, dated March 7, 1872. This rare three-page correspondence, signed by Marx and addressed to publisher Maurice Lachâtre, focuses on the French edition of Marx's seminal work, making it highly coveted due to the scarcity of Marx's letters linked to his influential works.


Another highlight is a mission-critical checklist page carried to the lunar surface on Apollo 11. The double-sided Drift Check & Landing Gear Deploy page from the Apollo 11 Lunar Module Activation Checklist is personally flight-certified by Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin and contains rare working annotations by Neil Armstrong (estimate: $50,000).

The auction ends on February 22.