A rare letter by Ludwig van Beethoven is among over 400 historical documents coming to auction in the US.

The Profiles in History sale is on June 13, online and at its California galleries.

In his 1806 letter, Beethoven writes a conciliatory request to court theatre director Baron Peter von Braun. They had argued over royalties for his only opera, Fidelio.

It is expected to bring $150,000 to $250,000.

Other highlights include a speech by Muhammad Ali written for a college lecture tour in the 1960s.

Handwritten on index cards, it presents his views on the Muslim faith and race relations. At the time, Ali was barred from boxing for refusing to be inducted into the armed forces.

It could bring up to $12,000.

Other highlights include documents by Nikita Khrushchev and Al Capone.