NEW YORK CITY — On October 23, Bonhams’ books and manuscripts department auctioned 236 lots in its Americana, Exploration and Travel sale, including items from the collections of William C. Nesheim, Bruce Maclin and Jan Muhlbauer. Reaching the sale-high price of $152,900, including buyer’s premium, was a rare first issue of Thomas Paine’s (1737-1809) The American Crisis, Number 1 and Number 2. Bound with Paine’s The Crisis Extraordinary (Philadelphia: Styner and Cist, 1776-77), these three volumes sold as one by William Harris at his store in Second Street, 1780, featured “the most eloquent of [Paine’s] revolutionary essays” and perhaps “one of the most eloquent and important statements of the American Revolution,” according to the auction catalog. Despite some losses and staining, the edition did not “try bidders’ souls,” and it rose well beyond its $80/120,000 estimate. A future review will cover additional highlights from this sale.