Auction 28, Western Americana Results

The first of the Jacobitz auctions was a popular sale, with nearly 400 bidders participating. As usual, nearly half of those played absentee the last day or participated in the live sale on Saturday. The internet bidding continued to form a good, sound forum for customer bidding, allowing easy access to pre-auction bidding. This, in turn, allows clients to be better informed of competitive interest and allows for a better decision- making process in placing bids, both absentee and live.

A number of records were set in many categories, as a standing room only crowd competed for true western rarities. The nature of demand in western Americana has become clear in our auctions - the collectors and institutions want and compete for the truly rare and meaningful pieces. At the same time, this trend opens space for dealer participation or for the beginning collector, who gets a chance at more common material at lower prices. The availability of material for advanced, as well as beginning collectors is peaked.

The highlights of the sale were certainly the rare early business ledgers and photographs from California and Nevada.

The sale total was about $196,000, with 87.25% of the lots sold, averaging $485 per lot. Here are the summary highlights by category:

Autographs - W. Sharon on V&TRR bond $978, Stanford on Bodie Bluff $748, Pioche $431, Diedesheimer $403, Orion Clemens on document $316, Wingfield on Sandstorm stock $259, Hellman on LA check, $489. Western autographs continue to increase in their overall appeal to collectors. Their importance on the national scene has been greatly underappreciated and it is good to watch the emergence and development of this important market.

Books - Bodie & Esmeralda (1878) $1840, Combination Silver Mining Co. Austin Nev. 1865 $1610, 1879 and 1882 Placer County Registers $661 each average.

Broadsides - No Whiskey for Indians $1380 (received the most bids in the sale), Native Sons of the Golden West $1438, 1865 Lincoln-Blasdel $1380, Tonopah Auto Stage $1150

Coin related - gold dust receipt, 1850's $431, Carson City Mint papers: gold clippings 1874 $402, gold bullion 1874 $345, silver ingots 1872 $748

Documents and Letters - Mormon exodus letter 1845 $1725, US Stage Co. Aurora 1880 $978, Cal & Nev mining letters 1850's - 1860's $200-$600 each, Virginia City Gamblers card proof $546. Early western letters with substantive content continue to do well, exhibiting the need and interest in understanding early western development.

Hard Goods - Chenette Miner's Lantern (General Grant style) VC $3795, California gold quartz jewelry $5750, V&T RR lantern $1532, Goldfield License plate $1208 (huge interest), Bodie & Benton RR lock $1438. The rarity of these wonderful pieces is reflected in their prices.

Ledgers - Unionville, 5 ledgers averaged $3404 each (Clemens $4370), Farmers & Merchants Bank Los Angeles first ledger $8050, Montana Ditch Co. 1862 $1093, Aurora Nevada 1863 $2760. 1848 California business ledger $1438. Strong prices for important material.

Maps - Inyo California 1884 $1725, Con-Virginia Bonanza working map $6037, King Atlas 1876 $1265, Wheeler Cal-Nev double map $748.

Photos - African American mining lot $1955, Tahoe 1906 panorama $920, First Stage to Bullfrog $1265, Eureka NV stereo views - 12 pieces averaged $374 each ranging from $288 to $460, Fairview NV $863, Early Tonopah photos $300-460 each, Gold Gill NT CDV c1862 $1610, Gold Hill NV stereo views ranged $260-690 each averaging $505 each, two Silver City NV photos averaged $834 each. These are certainly among the highest prices ever achieved for western photos other than daguerreotypes and ambrotypes of the 1848-1861 period.

Stocks - Lexington MC Aurora NT $1093, Whiting MC Silver City NT $920, Combined Effort VC $863, Oregon 1863 $863, Honest Miner, Austin NT $805. This clearly shows the re-emergence of the Territorial market to pre-9/11 levels.

The Second Jacobitz Sale, Sept.- Oct. 2004, Auction 32

The next sale, slated for late September or early October, features more incredible rarities. These include Vischer's Views of Nevada Territory, released in September, 1863 (Estimate $7,500-$10,000) four rare Nevada directories (Gillis 1868, Bishop 1875 and others), several large historically collected California gold nuggets ($2,500-$3,500 each), Eureka, Nevada albumen print photo collection, circa 1874-1885, early Unionville correspondence c1862-1864. An extremely rare San Francisco gold rush era Vigilante broadside is certainly a highlight of the gold rush section.

From the great Graham and Paula Hardy collection comes a spectacular Dawson, Yukon Territory c 1895 Miner's Union polychrome cloth banner wall hanging, about 6 x 8 feet. This incredible Alaska -Yukon gold rush piece has been the highlight of the Hardy Collection for five and a half decades, prominently displayed in the Mark Twain museum for most of that time. (Estimate $15,000-$25,000)

In precious metal ingots, we will be offering two choice, early western ingots. An important gold-silver ingot inscribed to a Calico pioneer from the Lucy King Lane Collection and an original Knight assay ingot made by Knight & Co. of Marysville made from ores from the west Humboldt district, Nevada Territory that comes to us from the Knight family. A Victor, Colorado gold ingot helps wrap up the ingot section.

Two very special furniture pieces will also be featured from the Rhodes-Arentz family (Congressman Arentz of Nevada). A Victorian maple and walnut roll top desk with overhead glass door bookcase (approx. 4 x 8') and a matching large Victorian maple and walnut glass door bookcase (about 7 x 8') with original glass in two large doors. Both pieces are from Virginia City and handed down in the family for over 100 years. These two fine pieces, estimated at $2,000-4,000 each, would make the cornerstone of any choice western library.

National Token and Medal Sale, September 1, 2004

The National Token and Medal Sale (Auction 31) will be conducted by this firm the first week in September. Highlights include four choice 10k gold National Championship Amateur Athletic Union medals from the 1916-1919 period. These medals offer a very rare opportunity for acquisition of original historical gold medals of national importance.

The Jacobitz Nevada token collection includes some great saloon rarities such as the Pioneer Saloon from Chaffee and the Oxford Bar from Contact, both ghost towns. A number of good-for mirrors, highlighted by the exposed breast Young's Billiard Parlor from Virginia City are also present.

Transportation token collectors will be ecstatic. Holabird Americana has landed an important multi-year inventory of obsolete transportation tokens from one of America's largest coin sorting and processing companies. The material will likely be split into two sales, as it constitutes about 600 pounds of material gathered over about the last decade. The introduction of coin machines nationally such as CoinStar have brought obsolete tokens out of the woodwork, as Americans have poured bowls and jars of old coins into these machines.

A fine collection of nearly 100 embossed match cases will be very popular among collectors. The collection includes several very rare Colorado pieces. Many unlisted California tokens are offered as well.

Consignments Wanted

As always, we are after quality consignments. Many of you have watched our sales with interest over the years. We get the best prices for important collections, and yours might fit into this category. Please call us to discuss the possibility of selling your collection or part of it. - Fred Holabird, Vernon Prestia, Andrea Borges (775) 852-8822.

Internet Auctions - A Wave of the Future

We have conducted four internet-only auctions over the past four months, and anticipate continuing this format of sales. The internet auctions have become an integral part of the auction business, as catalog print costs have grown to the point where lots selling for under $150 loose money, regardless of rarity. This new format allows for the usual variety of material in the less expensive categories, such as photo post cards, post-1900 stock certificates from western mining districts, documents from mining camps, scarce books and pamphlets, maps, railroadiana and the like.

It is important to note that some material is estimated cheaply, ie $25-50; but the piece could still be one-of-a-kind. Its up to the collectors to decide the value in the competitive bidding process. Many western items, particularly trade tokens, mining stocks and post cards, have done very well in the internet-only sale format, with prices commensurate with printed catalog levels.

Auction 29, due out in about mid-July, will have a great variety of western post cards and a wide variety of mining stocks, railroad stocks, banking stocks and other industrials.

Auction 30 will feature photographs, documents and a wide variety of western Americana from California, Colorado and other western states. A great offering of rare and scarce western books will also be offered.

Holabird Americana Sale Calendar

Auction 29 mid July, Internet Only. Stocks, post cards, etc.

Auction 30 mid-August, Internet Only. Western Photos, books, documents

Auction 31 Sept. 4, 2004. National Token Auction

Auction 32 Late Sept.- early October. Jacobitz Sale, Part II

339 $2,760.00

340 $1,092.50

341 $632.50

342 $172.50

343 $138.00

344 $977.50

345 $316.25

346 $126.50

347 $373.75

348 $207.00

349 $80.50

350 $1,265.00

351 $1,207.50

352 $575.00

353 $287.50

354 $460.00

355 $109.25

356 $316.25

357 $126.50

358 $402.50

359 $460.00

360 $258.75

361 $126.50

362 $316.25

363 $218.50

364 $460.00

365 $373.75

366 $402.50

367 $431.25

368 $373.75

369 $373.75

370 $373.75

371 $287.50

372 $287.50

373 $316.25

374 $402.50

375 $345.00

376 $431.25

377 $0.00

378 $172.50

379 $126.50

380 $575.00

381 $207.00

382 $316.25

383 $287.50

384 $2,185.00

385 $2,760.00

386 $4,370.00

387 $2,875.00

388 $4,830.00

389 $138.00

390 $575.00

391 $207.00

392 $431.25

393 $460.00

394 $805.00

395 $1,610.00

396 $115.00

397 $488.75

398 $460.00

399 $230.00

400 $69.00

401 $258.75

402 $316.25

403 $920.00

404 $172.50

405 $207.00

406 $207.00

407 $149.50

408 $184.00

409 $195.50

410 $161.00

411 $115.00

412 $115.00

413 $690.00

414 $546.25

415 $1,150.00

416 $195.50

417 $316.25

418 $402.50

419 $115.00

420 $115.00

421 $862.50

422 $184.00

423 $460.00

424 $109.25

425 $57.50

426 $184.00

427 $195.50

428 $546.25

429 $287.50

430 $316.25

431 $115.00

432 $345.00

433 $402.50

434 $747.50

435 $80.50

436 $287.50

437 $1,380.00

438 $149.50

439 $80.50

440 $0.00

441 $115.00

442 $431.25

443 $218.50

444 $1,610.00

445 $517.50

446 $195.50

447 $862.50

448 $488.75

449 $546.25

450 $258.75

451 $488.75

452 $690.00

453 $575.00

454 $517.50

455 $460.00

456 $103.50

457 $258.75

458 $488.75

459 $747.50

460 $402.50

461 $431.25

462 $747.50

463 $920.00

464 $402.50

465 $115.00

466 $3,795.00

467 $373.75

468 $546.25

469 $488.75

470 $345.00

471 $184.00

472 $460.00

473 $632.50

474 $184.00

475 $0.00

476 $115.00

477 $575.00

478 $373.75

479 $805.00

480 $6,037.50

481 $488.75

482 $1,725.00

483 $0.00

484 $920.00

485 $402.50

486 $460.00

487 $138.00

488 $1,150.00

489 $218.50

490 $402.50

491 $316.25

492 $207.00

493 $218.50

494 $0.00

495 $977.50

496 $1,552.50

497 $488.75

498 $149.50

499 $316.25

500 $258.75

501 $230.00

502 $373.75

503 $431.25

504 $316.25

505 $431.25

506 $488.75

507 $195.50

508 $316.25

509 $161.00

510 $218.50

511 $258.75

512 $0.00

513 $0.00

514 $258.75

515 $80.50

516 $460.00

517 $402.50

518 $138.00

519 $149.50

520 $431.25

521 $431.25

522 $0.00

523 $345.00

524 $345.00

525 $345.00

526 $862.50

527 $373.75

528 $161.00

529 $80.50

530 $0.00

531 $126.50

532 $0.00

533 $0.00

534 $0.00

535 $172.50

536 $805.00

537 $373.75

538 $86.25

539 $431.25

540 $172.50

541 $0.00

542 $0.00

544 $0.00

545 $517.50

547 $86.25

548 $0.00

549 $0.00

550 $0.00

551 $115.00

552 $149.50

553 $195.50

554 $517.50

555 $57.50

556 $0.00

557 $80.50

558 $138.00

559 $172.50

560 $218.50

561 $1,955.00

562 $575.00

563 $115.00

564 $207.00

565 $431.25

566 $373.75

Total:$195,885.25

101 $46.00

102 $109.25

103 $0.00

104 $0.00

105 $0.00

106 $115.00

107 $0.00

108 $402.50

109 $0.00

110 $57.50

111 $0.00

112 $0.00

113 $57.50

114 $0.00

115 $287.50

116 $0.00

117 $345.00

118 $1,437.50

119 $488.75

120 $0.00

121 $0.00

122 $0.00

123 $373.75

124 $690.00

125 $0.00

126 $316.25

127 $126.50

128 $86.25

130 $0.00

131 $287.50

132 $230.00

133 $373.75

134 $172.50

135 $1,437.50

136 $0.00

137 $1,725.00

138 $184.00

139 $690.00

140 $287.50

141 $0.00

142 $195.50

143 $690.00

144 $488.75

145 $345.00

146 $8,050.00

147 $1,322.50

148 $977.50

149 $402.50

150 $287.50

151 $1,437.50

152 $373.75

153 $747.50

154 $632.50

155 $218.50

156 $373.75

157 $115.00

158 $258.75

159 $195.50

160 $345.00

161 $431.25

162 $103.50

163 $460.00

164 $0.00

165 $0.00

166 $161.00

167 $0.00

168 $690.00

169 $632.50

170 $1,437.50

171 $632.50

172 $86.25

173 $230.00

174 $172.50

175 $287.50

176 $149.50

177 $195.50

178 $195.50

179 $431.25

180 $373.75

181 $258.75

182 $258.75

183 $431.25

184 $345.00

185 $207.00

186 $0.00

187 $402.50

188 $149.50

189 $345.00

190 $149.50

191 $115.00

192 $161.00

193 $373.75

194 $86.25

195 $431.25

196 $517.50

197 $287.50

198 $230.00

199 $161.00

200 $0.00

201 $0.00

202 $0.00

203 $0.00

204 $287.50

205 $287.50

206 $184.00

207 $0.00

208 $287.50

209 $0.00

210 $149.50

211 $316.25

212 $230.00

213 $0.00

214 $115.00

215 $0.00

216 $0.00

217 $161.00

218 $0.00

219 $172.50

220 $0.00

221 $0.00

222 $126.50

223 $115.00

224 $373.75

225 $86.25

226 $161.00

227 $218.50

228 $230.00

229 $345.00

230 $161.00

231 $172.50

232 $138.00

233 $0.00

234 $575.00

235 $345.00

236 $0.00

237 $0.00

238 $109.25

239 $109.25

240 $0.00

241 $115.00

242 $86.25

244 $97.75

245 $287.50

246 $287.50

247 $1,955.00

248 $207.00

249 $1,955.00

250 $747.50

251 $0.00

252 $0.00

253 $86.25

254 $126.50

255 $195.50

256 $402.50

257 $402.50

258 $172.50

259 $977.50

260 $109.25

261 $184.00

262 $0.00

263 $1,725.00

264 $5,750.00

265 $115.00

266 $92.00

267 $0.00

268 $230.00

269 $69.00

270 $195.50

271 $218.50

272 $218.50

273 $218.50

274 $747.50

275 $207.00

276 $345.00

277 $690.00

278 $172.50

279 $230.00

280 $1,265.00

281 $517.50

282 $138.00

283 $747.50

284 $126.50

285 $172.50

286 $1,725.00

287 $0.00

288 $230.00

289 $126.50

290 $207.00

291 $115.00

292 $230.00

293 $161.00

294 $230.00

295 $149.50

296 $161.00

297 $805.00

298 $0.00

299 $115.00

300 $195.50

301 $80.50

302 $126.50

303 $126.50

304 $115.00

305 $80.50

306 $258.75

307 $1,092.50

308 $258.75

309 $0.00

310 $207.00

311 $0.00

312 $258.75

313 $0.00

314 $0.00

315 $115.00

316 $0.00

317 $0.00

318 $1,380.00

319 $431.25

320 $402.50

321 $0.00

322 $0.00

323 $172.50

324 $184.00

325 $230.00

326 $161.00

327 $316.25

328 $172.50

329 $862.50

330 $920.00

331 $345.00

332 $316.25

333 $575.00

334 $115.00

335 $460.00

336 $184.00

337 $1,840.00

338 $546.25