But the main attraction of the evening — and yes, the entire season — was Warhol’s early silkscreen, portraying his favorite commodity, the all-mighty dollar.

You can’t say the dollar is weak against any currency given its super-charged performance tonight, as the opening bid for 200 One Dollar Bills came in at $6 million. Instantly, Sotheby’s specialist Alex Rotter shouted “$12 million” from his telephone bidder and a rapid ascent began, climbing at million-dollar increments to $38 million, at which point Jose Mugrabi, on a cell phone with a Sotheby’s specialist, cut the bid to $38.5 million, though he wouldn’t go beyond the winning hammer price of $39 million.

Along the way to that lofty figure, New York dealer Philippe Segalot made a try but dropped out, part of a handful of deep-pocketed bidders that fought for the work.

Courtesy Sotheby's