Shipwreck artifacts, currency, stock certificates, ephemera and obsolete notes offered by Smythe & Co. starting Oct. 29

Oct. 13, 2007

Coins and artifacts from the 1784 shipwreck of the El Cazador will be featured among the coins, paper currency, stock certificates, ephemera and obsolete notes that will be offered in four consecutive auctions beginning Oct. 29 by Smythe & Co.

NEW YORK–Everyone at R.M. Smythe & Co., Inc., is going to have a very busy week starting Oct. 29 in what can only be described as a frenzied whirlwind of auctions. Smythe will offer an exciting suite of four consecutive sales to include, coins and artifacts from the 1784 shipwreck of the El Cazador Oct. 30; paper money & stock certificates Oct. 31; obsolete notes from the Schingoethe collection Oct. 31; and a mail-bid / live Internet auction of paper and ephemera Nov. 1.

The one week, four auction whirlwind of more than 5,500 lots includes a historically fascinating mix of items. Among the more noteworthy offerings are artifacts and rare coins recovered from the ship El Cazador (The Hunter). On Jan. 11, 1784 El Cazador left from Vera Cruz for New Orleans, and the then Spanish Louisiana, with 450,000 freshly minted coins in its hold. The task was to shore up the local economy by retiring discredited Spanish currency, issued some 20 years earlier. The Ship, her crew, and the treasure she was carrying disappeared without a trace. Smythe & Co. is offering 43 lots recovered from the wreck of the El Cazador Oct. 30. Some of the more interesting items include:

Lot# 1616 - 18th Century Spanish Bronze Breech Loaded Cannon. Typical form, 39 1/2” in length. Bourbon arms of Charles III on top of barrel. Breach fired cannon with breech block present. Minor damage to pindle. Nice surfaces with only traces of verdigris. One of only 40 cannons that were reported on the El Cazador. The fact that the breech block is present is simply amazing. Cannon weighs 200+ pounds.

Lot# 1578 -1872 (1782) Mexico NCS 8 Reales, Transposed numbers Error dated 1872-FF (instead of 1782). KM-106.2, Carolus III, Mexico mint. otherwise unlisted. A lower grade specimen sold at CICF ‘06 for $10,350. Extremely Rare.

Lot# 1585 - * Reales. 1783-FF, KM 106.2 Carolus III, Mexico mint. FC-66, EL-93
. square letters, and especialy sharp reversesome corrosion, reverse tooling, small ancient circular obverse mark, lightly water affected, uneven blue-gray toning, and much lustre. Ch. AU-UNC

Lot# 1604 - Clustered coins “Clump”: Cracked but whole cannonball and “base” in which are embedded several 8 Reales sized coins. 2 parts. 4lbs, 4.5oz.

Sunken treasure is not the only rarity up for auction at Smythe. The Oct. 31 sale of Colonial and Historic Documents features 24 lots, including these two noteworthy treasures:

Lot# 2050 - Province of the Massachusetts Bay August 9, 1773. 500 Pounds. 5% Bond due 1775. Ornate border. Embossed seal. Signed by Samuel Adams, Thomas Cushing and James Pitts for Committee. Fold splits lightly taped on the back. It is endorsed on the reverse by the owner, and there is a notation that interest was paid in 1774. VF. ($15,000-25,000)
This bond is unlisted in Anderson. Only four of these bonds are known to exist, two of which have been sold by Smythe & Co. in previous auctions. This example was issued before the Revolutionary Era, when Harrison Otis Gray was still the colonial Treasurer. The bond was witnessed by James Pitts and Thomas Cushing, (1725-1788) Massachusetts merchant, member of the Continental Congress, speaker of the Colonial House etc. Signed by Samuel Adams (1722-1803) signer of the Declaration of Independence, Continental Congressman, Massachusetts Governor, early opponent of British rule and the Stamp Act. He engineered the election of John Hancock as head of the Patriot Party, and later became the governor of Massachusetts himself. This is an extraordinary piece.

Lot # - 2062 Legendary scout and Indian fighter Daniel Boone signs treasury warrant for the Commonwealth of Virginia December 22, 1781. #10201. Land-Office Treasury Warrant. 500 Acres/800 Pounds. Issued to and boldly signed on the reverse by Daniel Boone. Unlisted in Anderson. Fine, but with age tone. Broken folds have been expertly repaired. Ink is light with thin spot on verso of document. Uncancelled. ($10,000-20,000)
Daniel Boone (1735-1820), legendary scout, Indian fighter and folk hero. Boone is most famous for his explorations of the frontier, paving the way for the settlement of the West. In 1775 Boone trailblazed the Wilderness Road through the Cumberland Gap and into Kentucky, founding Boonesborough. He served as a militia officer during the Revolution, defending the Western frontier. He was elected to three terms in the Virginia General Assembly. After the war Boone worked as a surveyor and merchant, but he went deep into debt as a land speculator. He lost much of his land because of squatters and conflicting claims. In 1799, frustrated with legal problems, Boone resettled in Missouri, where he died at the age of 85.

The one week, four auction marathon is not just limited to historical paper and shipwreck artifacts. Additional items include obsolete notes selected from the Schingoethe collection to be auctioned on Oct. 31, as well as more than 5,400 lots of ancient coins, U.S. and foreign currency, notes and stock certificates. A few examples include:

Lot# 1004 - Foreign Greek. Phoenicia, Tyre. AR Half Shekel- Tetradrachm (7.14g.). 76-75 B.C. obv. Laureate head right of melkart. rev. Eagle standing on prow, date HM (year 48) and club before. BMC 230 var. Choice for issue. Superb, as struck. (Estimate $500-700)

Lot# 1107 - 1787 Connecticut Copper Colonial Draped Bust Left M-34.ff PCGS XF-40. Smooth, hard, and glossy surfaces combine to create an appealing circulated Connecticut copper. Some planchet roughness (as made) is noted. "

Lot# 6071 - NY. New York City. Silver Lake Bank. $5. 1834. (PA-320 Unlisted). Technically a PA bank but payable in New York City. Woman in row boat. P. Maverick, Durand. VG, minor hinge repair. (Estimate $200-300)
Lot# 6264 - VA. Lexington. County of Rockbridge. 50¢. Feb 2, 1863. Typeset. Fine, pinholes. (Estimate $500-750)

Lot# 6317 - 1) VA. Richmond. Mineral Bank of Richmond. 5¢. Oct. 4th, 1861. Typeset. Blue stock. Fine. 2) Family Groceries. 5¢. 1862. About Fine. 3) Emanuel Semon. 5¢. 1861. Fine. 4) C. Sworff. 10¢. 1862. Sailing ship at left end. About Fine. [4] (Estimate $500-750)

Lot# 1499 - Franklin Institute Medal Group Julian AM-17. Seven are 47mm Silver, one is 47mm Bronze. All awarded in the 1840's and 1850's. All awarded to one firearms manufacturer. An interesting group that must be seen to be appreciated. [8] (Estimate $500-750) All Ex. Lot

Lot# 2035 - Detroit Aircraft (MI) 1930. #7093. 100 shs. Green. Oncoming plane, dirigible and another plane in the distance. EAW. VF+.* (Estimate $150-300)

Lot# 2078 - Act of March 23, 1863. $1000. Cr.136. B-276. No.199. Ruins of Jamestown, Virginia. Falsely filled in as all issued pieces were redeemed and destroyed. Geo Dunn & Co. VF, small body hole. (Estimate $1,000-2,000)

Lot# 2075 - Act of January 29, 1863. Cr.119. B-160. No.529. 1,000 Pounds. 25,000 Francs. The Erlanger Loan. Woman with Confederate flag and cotton bales watches ship. Signed by Erlanger, Schroeder, McRae and Slidell. VF-EF. (Estimate $600-1,200)

The fully illustrated auction catalog can be viewed at www.LiveAuctioneers.com, where those interested may also leave absentee or live Internet bids.

“Our upcoming week of auctions is going to be a tremendous opportunity for some lucky collectors to acquire some remarkable pieces.” said Mary Herzog, Vice President of R. M. Smythe & Co. “Because of the large number of lots being offered, I want to encourage interested parties to review the catalogs at their earliest opportunity.”

About R. M. Smythe & Co.
R. M. Smythe and Co., established in 1880, buys, sells, and auctions coins, paper money, stocks and bonds and autographs at their corporate headquarters at 2 Rector Street in the heart of the Financial District in New York City.