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Hopi coil Olla basket by Annette Nasafotie, estimated at $4,000-$6,000

Western Americana revisited at Holabird, June 15-18

Sheila Gibson Stoodley
Sheila Gibson Stoodley
Hopi coil Olla basket by Annette Nasafotie, estimated at $4,000-$6,000
Hopi coil Olla basket by Annette Nasafotie, estimated at $4,000-$6,000

RENO, Nev. – Holabird Western Americana Collections will burst into summer with a four-day High-Grade Auction, spanning Thursday, June 15 through Sunday, June 18, and starting each day at 8 am Pacific time. It features nearly 2,000 lots of mining collectibles, railroadiana, numismatics, Native and general Americana, philatelic, bottles, stocks, bonds, sports and art. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

The assay category contains some of the best items Holabird has ever offered, to include assay certificates from all Western states (circa 1850-1920); assay books (circa 1848-1900); original assay certificate books for Eberhardt & Aurora Mining Company 1871 (first year); and Gould & Curry Mining Company in Virginia (circa 1860s). Many of these will appear in the Day 3 lineup.

Haul-Off and Jump-Up Mining Company (Devil’s Gate Mining District, Utah/Nevada Territory) stock certificate, dated April 16, 1861, for eight shares, to John Vignot, estimated at $1,000-$3,000
Haul-Off and Jump-Up Mining Company (Devil’s Gate Mining District, Utah/Nevada Territory) stock certificate, dated April 16, 1861, for eight shares, to John Vignot, estimated at $1,000-$3,000

Several categories will be spread across the catalog and won’t be restricted to just one day. The Gold Rush category, for example, will be highlighted by Part I of the Jann Garvis collection, which centers around the blue-lead mining camp of La Porte, in Sierra County. Also offered will be Gold Rush letters, exchanges, assay certificates, mining stocks and antiquarian photos.

One of only a few known copies of De Groot's third edition map of the Washoe mines of Nevada, one of the rich Comstock mines discovered in 1859, published in 1860, estimated at $10,000-$20,000

One of only a few known copies of De Groot’s third edition map of the Washoe mines of Nevada, one of the rich Comstock mines discovered in 1859, published in 1860, estimated at $10,000-$20,000

Maps will come up for bid on each of the four days, including some great Western directories, pamphlets and individual published maps, most of them very rare. The rarest of them all, though, is the 1860 De Groot Comstock map, which might be the only copy of the De Groot map in private hands today. It will be accompanied by a major new well-researched story of this legendary map.

Carte de visite of a Comstock ingot made by E. Ruhling & Co., assayers during the Franco-Prussian War, estimated at $1,000-$2,000
Carte de visite of a Comstock ingot made by E. Ruhling & Co., assayers during the Franco-Prussian War, estimated at $1,000-$2,000

Photography lots on days two, three and four will include early Arizona stereo photos from a major collector; circa-1863-1870 Comstock photos from a major collector; and an original carte de visite of the Ruhling ingot that went to Germany circa 1865.

Original, historical copy of the late 1600s book ‘Il Capitolo dei Frati (The Chapter of the Friars),’ described as an ecumenical farce, hand-written apparently in author Sebastiano Chiesa’s hand, estimated at $10,000-$30,000
Original, historical copy of the late 1600s book ‘Il Capitolo dei Frati (The Chapter of the Friars),’ described as an ecumenical farce, hand-written apparently in author Sebastiano Chiesa’s hand, estimated at $10,000-$30,000

Antiquarian books will also be spread across days two, three and four and will include an ecumenical farce from the 1600s by Sebastiano Chiesa, titled Il Capitolo dei Frati (The Chapter of the Friars), as well as a major Western assay book collection and Western directories. The Wild West selection will feature a Wells Fargo agent letter from J. Hume regarding a Montana stage robbery along with ancillary documents, an important discovery from the man who caught the notorious outlaw Black Bart.

Day 1, on Thursday, June 15, will contain 504 lots of transportation, to include steamer passes, railroadiana and transportation ephemera; militaria and weaponry; and stocks and bonds, to include mining, including the Aurora collection; oil; railroad; and miscellaneous categories.

Best & Belcher Mining Company (Nev.) stock certificate #1, possibly one of a kind, for four shares, issued on Sept. 25, 1863, estimated at $1,500-$3,000
Best & Belcher Mining Company (Nev.) stock certificate #1, possibly one of a kind, for four shares, issued on Sept. 25, 1863, estimated at $1,500-$3,000

The mining stocks, especially, will feature an amazing cross-section of Western material, to include Haul Off and Jump Up Mining Company, 1861; early Comstock, including Best & Belcher (a new discovery); early Aurora Mining Company; early Gold Hill (all territorial, pre-1864); and two great Inyo pieces: Russ District 1861 (a new find); and Telescope District 1.

Gould & Curry Silver Mining Company (Virginia City, Nev.) stock certificate, issued to Platt K. Dickinson for four shares on May 30, 1863, with vignette of Mt. Davidson, estimated at $1,000-$1,500

Gould & Curry Silver Mining Company (Virginia City, Nev.) stock certificate, issued to Platt K. Dickinson for four shares on May 30, 1863, with vignette of Mt. Davidson, estimated at $1,000-$1,500

Stocks and bonds will include turnpike pieces; autograph pieces; and a major portion of Ken Prag’s 1860s US Oil stock collection – 50 lots in all. The railroad category will feature a continuation of three major railroad pass collections from all across America – 150 lots in all.

Archive of fireman Guy Fremont Spencer, which includes early to mid-20th-century gold California fire department badges, estimated at $6,000-$10,000
Archive of fireman Guy Fremont Spencer, which includes early to mid-20th-century gold California fire department badges, estimated at $6,000-$10,000

Day 2, on Friday, June 16, will feature 513 lots of art and general Americana, to include geographic sort and miscellaneous categories, to include books, fire and artistic labels. Also of note is the archive of Walnut Creek fireman Guy Fremont Spencer, spanning circa 1918 to 1950 and containing a trio of gold California fire department badges. The archive has an estimate of $6,000-$10,000.

Day 3, on Saturday, June 17, will showcase Native Americana; mining, to include a Western assay collection and ingots; and ephemera, featuring the Comstock photograph collection; and vintage and antique bottles, including Colorado medicines.

One of the great Day 3 lots is a new discovery of a gold bullion shipment archive from Virginia City banker Elling to the New York bank of Kountze and subsequently the USAO in New York, circa 1873-1880, with hundreds of pieces – a rare look inside the gold bullion shipment business.

Archive of original gold bullion shipment and receipt records from Virginia City, Montana banker Henry Elling to the Kountze Bank in New York, 1873-1881, estimated at $2,500-$6,000
Archive of original gold bullion shipment and receipt records from Virginia City, Montana banker Henry Elling to the Kountze Bank in New York, 1873-1881, estimated at $2,500-$6,000

The antiquarian precious metal ingot section on Day 3 is the best such section Holabird has offered in more than a decade. Included are major new and newsworthy pieces to the market. Represented are Cripple Creek; Prescott, Arizona; Hamilton, Nevada; Virginia City; and New York.

Day 3 will also feature Indian and Native American material, including baskets, pottery and jewelry; and antique bottles, possibly the last of the Bracken collection, including Colorado and the Midwest. A standout within the first category is a Hopi coil Olla basket credited to Annette Nasafotie, a member of the Women’s Society at Second Mesa where Hopi coiled baskets are exclusively made. The colorful basket is estimated at $4,000-$6,000.

Day 4, on Sunday, June 18, will be loaded with 446 lots of philatelic material, including postcards, covers and stamps; sports; and numismatics, which covers currency, ephemera, coins, medals and tokens.

Currency choices include US notes and perhaps the best so-called “poker note” collection ever assembled – about 30 lots. Also offered will be foreign currency, including some mostly uncirculated pounds from a very old holding.

To consign a single piece or a collection to Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC, call Fred Holabird at 775-851-1859 or 844-492-2766; or email fredholabird@gmail.com. To learn more about Holabird Western Americana Collections, please visit www.holabirdamericana.com.

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