Like most prized works, it required giving a guarantee, an undisclosed sum promised to a seller regardless of the outcome of the sale.

The sums promised individual claimants in the initial settlement are unlikely to be realized in any new deal, he said.

Moreover, Sotheby's had given some sellers guarantees - undisclosed minimum sums promised regardless of the sale's outcome.

An advance was requested and paid, and a further sum promised on delivery, so long as Mozart made no attempt to discover its source.

G.M., which does set aside money for future retiree benefits, has reported that the sum of its health care promises to retirees was $77.47 billion in 2004.

The sum of all these features promised better fuel consumption by more than 60% compared to any existing large passenger aircraft technology at the time.

The glowing sums of money old Whip had promised her she never got.

Christie's had offered $15 million in guarantees (undisclosed sums promised to sellers regardless of the sale's outcome).

Sotheby's has given him a guarantee - an undisclosed sum promised to the seller regardless of a sale's outcome.

But the experts said Phillips offered nearly $200 million as a guarantee (the publicly undisclosed sum promised to a seller regardless of a sale's outcome).