pill. Compound No. 20. Single prototype oral capsule, two-tone green and white, marked "20" on body. Recovered from the sealed laboratory archive of Dr. Ernst Reinhardt, Institute for Advanced Chemistry, Zurich, c. 1943.
Important Bidder Information for this Auction: This lot is offered as part of The Reinhardt Archive, a collection of pharmaceutical artifacts and scientific curiosities consigned by the sole surviving heir of Dr. Ernst Reinhardt and offered without reserve. This lot is classified as a historical artifact of scientific and cultural significance; export licensing may be required for certain jurisdictions. International shipping is available; all documentation will be prepared by Agnew Auction Services upon request.
This capsule is believed to be the sole surviving physical specimen of Compound No. 20, an unidentified formula synthesized in the winter of 1943 at the Institute for Advanced Chemistry in Zurich. Measuring 20 mm in length and encased in a two-tone shell — forest green at one end, ivory white at the other — the capsule is hand-marked "20" in black ink on its equatorial band, corresponding to the sequential numbering used in Reinhardt's laboratory notebooks. The compound's identity has never been formally disclosed. In private correspondence dated March 1944, Reinhardt wrote to his colleague Heinrich Vogt: "No. 20 is the one that cannot be forgotten. It does not ask permission." No further notation appears in any surviving record.
Dr. Ernst Reinhardt (1901–1971) was a Swiss-German pharmaceutical chemist who led the organic synthesis division of the Institute for Advanced Chemistry in Zurich from 1938 until his resignation in 1951 under circumstances never made public. His published work — principally in alkaloid derivatives and central nervous system compounds — appeared in eight peer-reviewed journals between 1932 and 1949, after which his name disappears entirely from the scientific record. His private notebooks, sealed under instruction and held by his family for over seven decades, were made available for cataloguing for the first time in 2023.
Among the materials recovered from the archive was a small locked specimen box containing eleven capsules, numbered sequentially from No. 12 to No. 22. Eight were found empty or structurally compromised. Three remained intact. Of these, only Compound No. 20 — the present lot — bore written annotation in Reinhardt's hand. The box also contained a single index card typed in German: "These are not to be opened. Not yet."
Excellent original condition. The capsule shell is intact with no cracks, separations, or collapse; both cap and body retain their original color saturation. The hand-inked "20" marking on the equatorial band remains fully legible. No signs of tampering, resealing, or external intervention. The capsule has been stored in dry, stable conditions for the entirety of its known history. A full condition report prepared by Agnew's Scientific Artifacts specialist is available on request.
This lot is sold strictly as a historical artifact for collection purposes only. The contents of the capsule have not been analyzed, identified, or characterized by Agnew Auction Services or any third party. Buyers assume full responsibility for compliance with applicable laws regarding the acquisition, possession, and transportation of unidentified pharmaceutical specimens. Please review the full terms and conditions of auction prior to bidding.
| # | Bidder | Bid Amount | Date / Time (PT) | Status |
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The Reinhardt Archive — Pharmaceutical Artifacts & Scientific Curiosities
May 18, 2026 · 11:00 AM PT
May 22, 2026 · 6:00 PM PT
By appointment, Beverly Hills gallery
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