NEW YORK, NY.- The October 5 auction of American Paintings, Furniture & Decorative Arts at Doyle showcased a wide range of American paintings of the 19th and early 20th centuries, including fine examples of portraiture; Hudson River, western and regional landscapes; marine paintings and still lifes.

Highlighting the sale was a painting by Daniel Huntington (1816-1906) entitled The Counterfeit Note, which attracted a great deal of attention from collectors, institutions and trade alike. With spirited competition from determined bidders on the telephones and the Internet, the painting soared past its estimate of $35,000-55,000 to achieve a stunning $406,000 -- A World Auction Record for the Artist. The work was acquired by a major American Art collection. The record price of $406,000 more than doubled the prior auction record of $159,200 set in 2003 and far surpassed the next highest price of $65,000 set just last year.

One of two genre scenes executed by Huntington during a trip to Europe in 1857-58, The Counterfeit Note was exhibited to acclaim at London’s Royal Academy. The work depicts a sharp-eyed stranger attempting to pass a counterfeit bill in payment for a purchase at a variety store, while a lovely young woman – the type known as a “true English Rose” – examines a bolt of fabric in the foreground. A rediscovery, the painting remained in the family of the artist for many years and only recently came to light.

Strong prices were also achieved for works by Jasper Francis Cropsey, John Stobart, Gilbert Stuart, Grandma Moses, Hermann Herzog and James Henry Daugherty, among others.

Among the other offerings at the sale were American furniture and decorative arts from the Colonial period through the Federal and Classical styles, including silver, ceramics, mirrors, Chinese export porcelain, rugs and Audubon, Currier & Ives and topographical prints.

With competitive bidding in the salesroom, on the telephones and on the Internet, the sale totaled a strong $1,209,388, surpassing its estimate of $670,725-1,051,265, with an impressive 86% sold by lot and 95% sold by value.

All prices include the buyer’s premium.

Consignments are currently being accepted for Doyle’s Spring 2017 auction of American Paintings, Furniture & Decorative Arts.