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Holabird’s Autumn Splendor Western Americana Auction, Held Oct. 28-Nov. 1 Online and in Reno, Nevada, Grosses $500,000

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Reno, NV, USA, November 16, 2021 -/DailyVoice/- Holabird Western Americana Collections’ five-day Autumn Splendor Western Americana Auction, held October 28th-November 1st, contained over 3,200 lots of Americana, railroadiana, mining collectibles, numismatics, stock certificates, rare books, art and more, online and live in the Reno gallery. By the time it was all over, the auction had grossed about $500,000.

The massive sale featured several important collections, beginning with the Stuart “Scotty” MacKenzie Montana collection. Stuart was a lawyer, inveterate collector and dealer. He scoured the backroads of northern Montana looking for documents, archives, company files, libraries, correspondence and more – most anything historical except for bottles and tokens.

In another major collection, Shirley Bovis was a mainstay in Tombstone, Arizona – an avid collector and part-time dealer. She bought longtime Tombstone dealer Joe Soebbing’s adobe in the middle of town and turned part of it into a museum. Her collection of gambling items, saloon, cowboy, Native American – pretty much everything Tombstone – was in the auction.

More of the Ken Prag collection was also featured. “We picked up another large group of cards and stocks from Ken and had to move at warp speed to process it all,” said Fred Holabird of Holabird Western Americana Collections. “It included a large batch of California postcards, plus rare autograph stocks, including American Express, Wells Fargo, Robert Morris and others.”

Day 1, on Thursday, October 28th, featured General Americana, led by Alaska and Wyoming collectibles and Part 1 of the MacKenzie Montana collection; bottles, saloon and cigar items; marbles and toys. Sold that day was a nearly complete pair of 1920s-era Levi jeans, found in the Empire Mine at Tombstone, Arizona, next to the Toughnut Mine. The jeans gaveled for $625.

Also sold on Day 1 was a pair of trays, one for Old Judge Whiskey (Rothenberg Co.) and one for Wieland’s Beer (both San Francisco), which were sold as one lot for $625; and a Wells Fargo & Company receipt for a shipment of two boxes of gold dust valued at $6,794, transported in 1869 from Helena, Montana to New York City, handwritten “Paid” and showing no vignette ($562).

Day 2, October 29th, featured Part II of General Americana, with gaming, circus and cowboy collectibles, jewelry, general foreign, books, Montana directories, firearms, militaria and political memorabilia. A top lot was the group of six vintage gaming chips, for Harrah’s (one yellow and one red), Harvey’s Lake Tahoe, Sahara Tahoe, Sahara Las Vegas and the Andre Club ($3,875).

Other Day 2 star lots included a collection of over 165 original hand-tinted Japanese photographs from the Meiji Era (1868-1912), mostly large-format, contained in four albums and three small envelopes ($3,125); and a 1922 hippo-themed circus poster announcing The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows, for four days, starting Sept. 11, brightly colored ($1,062).

Day 3, October 30th, was bursting with 661 lots of art and advertising, Native Americana, transportation (air, auto, steamer, railroadiana and passes), ephemera, keys, lamps and model trains. Eager bidders battled over a hollow silver bead necklace with six bear claws capped with silver adornments, plus a central turquoise cabochon set in silver; it changed hands for $1,562.

The day’s top lot, however, was a Union Pacific Railroad complimentary pass (#1), issued to General A. W. Marley on Dec. 31, 1871, with a vignette of a stag in the upper left-hand corner ($5,125). Also sold was an art print engraving by Arthur Willmore of Yosemite from an original artwork on paper by the renowned American West artist Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902) ($750).

Day 4, November 1st, included mining ephemera and collectibles, stocks and bonds (mining, oil, railroad, autographs, early American and Express), and numismatics (ingots, currency, scrip, ephemera, coins, medals, so-called dollars and tokens). An 1898-S $20 Liberty Head gold piece belt buckle and Western belt, by Silver Creek Collection, accented with lizard skin, hit $2,500.

Two Day 4 lots both finished with identical selling prices of $3,125. One was a 1947 50-peso Mexican gold coin with 14 carat bezel, the coin being in almost uncirculated condition. The other was a stock certificate in the amount of one share, for the Silverton Northern Railroad Company, issued to Cora M. Pitcher on Oct. 24, 1921, signed by company president Otto Mears.

Day 5, Monday, November 1st, offered philatelic (postcards, covers and stamps), and bargains and dealer specials (general Americana, stocks and bonds, and numismatics). Bags of nickels proved irresistible to bidders: a bag of 4,000 Buffalo nickels (1913-1938), weighing 43 pounds, went for $3,250, while a bag of 4,060 Liberty nickels (1883-1912), 41 pounds, brought $3,000.

Also sold on Day 5 was a collection of over 100 vintage postcards from the Trinity County (Calif.) town of Weaverville, from the 1940s-1950s and older, many of the Chinese Joss House ($1,000); and a group of five wooden tokens for the Pike Woolen Co., tailors (Oakland, Calif.), the obverse showing a Childs Indian Head and stars, the obverse “Pike Woolen Co.” ($938).

Online bidding was facilitated by iCollector.com, LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Auctionzip.com. To learn more about Holabird Western Americana Collections, visit www.holabirdamericana.com. Updates are posted often.

About Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC:
Anyone owning a collection that might be a good fit for an upcoming auction at Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC is encouraged to get in touch. The company has agents all over the country and will travel to inspect most collections. To consign a single piece or a collection, you may call Fred Holabird at 775-851-1859 or 844-492-2766; or, you can send an e-mail to fredholabird@gmail.com. To learn more about Holabird Western Americana Collections, visit www.holabirdamericana.com. Updates are posted often.

Holabird’s Autumn Splendor Western Americana Auction, Oct. 28-Nov. 1, Has Over 3,200 Lots in Many Collecting Categories

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Reno, NV, USA, October 17, 2021 -/DailyVoice/- Holabird Western Americana Collections’ five-day Autumn Splendor Western Americana Auction, October 28th-November 1st, is packed with over 3,200 lots of Americana, railroadiana, mining collectibles, numismatics, stock certificates, rare books, art and more, online and live in the Reno gallery at 3555 Airway Drive, starting at 8 am Pacific time all five days.

The massive sale will feature several important collections, beginning with the Stuart “Scotty” MacKenzie Montana collection. Stuart was a lawyer, inveterate collector and dealer. He scoured the backroads of northern Montana looking for documents, archives, company files, libraries, correspondence – most anything historical except bottles and tokens.

“After Stuart’s death, we brought back two 28-foot trucks and a large, tall van full of goods, probably 18-19 tons of collectible material,” said Fred Holabird of Holabird Western Americana Collections. “A local auction was held for some of the items in his store, which had been closed for about ten years.”

Stuart had a strong love of mining items. He acquired major collections in Butte, Virginia City, Pony, Helena and many other towns. “We put together a massive Montana town document collection of over 500 different locations – nearly 600,” Mr. Holabird remarked. “There are document archives from many of Montana’s most famous towns that are being offered in this sale and upcoming sales.”

Another major holding are his fruit labels and other labels, from the 1870s through about 1950 that came from all over America and even Europe. MacKenzie also acquired a major printer’s archive of Victorian wall art, mostly pretty ladies in attire of the times, the kind put up in saloons or used today in interior decorating. There are also postcards, postal history, bird prints and a fantastic Montana library.

In another major collection, Shirley Bovis was a mainstay in Tombstone, Arizona – an avid collector and part-time dealer. She bought longtime Tombstone dealer Joe Soebbing’s adobe in the middle of town and quickly turned part of it into a museum. Her collection of gambling items, saloon, cowboy, Native American – pretty much everything that is and was Tombstone – will be in this and upcoming auctions.

The Ken Prag collection is the gift that keeps on giving. “We picked up another large group of cards and stocks from Ken and by publication time may not have had time to process much, but it’s coming,” Mr. Holabird said. “This sale features a large batch of California postcards, plus more rare autograph stocks including American Express, Wells Fargo, Robert Morris and more.”

Holabird continues to get in great collections of tokens, medals and bullion coins from a wide variety of Western coin dealers and collectors. This sale will feature a great batch of so-called dollars. Also offered will be consignments from three important railroad pass and stock collections, as well as nearly 200 lots of lock keys and lamps, as wells as a huge railroad library.

The mining category will include Western mining photographs, documents and publications, and carbide lamps. Mining stocks will feature a spectacular issued Bodie stock signed by Leland Stanford and a collection of Canadian stocks. Hollywood and Disney autographs and ephemera will feature a big group of autographed pictures and cuts from Hollywood’s biggest stars, plus rare collectibles.

Also up for bid will be Native Americana; jewelry; belt buckles and other cowboy collectibles; bottles and saloon collectibles; rare Western documents and photos; militaria, including Civil War knives; gaming and circus collectibles; art and advertising; and the auction’s star lot: an exceptional and rare William Shakespeare original first folio fragment from The First Part of Henry the Fourth.

Day 1, on Thursday, October 28th, will contain 651 lots of General Americana, led by Alaska and Wyoming collectibles and Part 1 of the MacKenzie Montana collection; bottles, saloon and cigar items; marbles and toys. A featured lot is a signed print of 1920s actress Nita Naldi by the iconic American artist Alberto Vargas (estimate: $3,500-$5,000). Signed prints by Vargas are very rare.

Also offered on Day 1 will be an interesting array of covers and letters addressed to Ruth Disney (Beecher), Walt Disney’s sister; and to Elias Disney, Walt and Ruth’s father – eight items in all, from 1918-1965 (estimate: $2,000-$2,500); and a pair of trays, one for Old Judge Whiskey (Rothenberg Co.) and one for Wieland’s Beer (both San Francisco) (estimate: $1,000-$1,700).

Day 2, Friday, October 29th, will have 632 lots, led by Part II of General Americana, featuring gaming, circus and cowboy collectibles, jewelry, general foreign and books, which will include Montana directories and, of course, the Shakespeare first folio fragment, which could easily sell for $50,000-$100,000. Also being sold will be firearms, military and political memorabilia.

Other Day 2 star lots will include the 1886 edition of The History of California in 23 volumes by Hubert Howe Bancroft, covering the history of the Golden State from 1542-1890 (estimate: $2,000-$2,500); and a group of four first edition books, three of them classics by Dr. Seuss and one by P. D. Eastman, titled Are You My Mother, published in 1960 (estimate: $2,500-$3,500).

Other Day 2 offerings will feature a Haag Bros. Circus poster (date unknown), printed on heavy canvas measuring 29 inches by 44 inches and boasting vibrant colors (estimate: $1,000-$4,000); a Civil War-era Bowie presentation knife made in Sheffield and used by the 9th Corp under Gen. Ambrose Burnside, acid etched “Victory to Our Brave Volunteers” (estimated: $2,000-$3,000); and a beautiful 14-18kt gold Art Deco style brooch with multiple dangling ornamentation and a central clear faceted stone, in a burgundy velveteen drawstring bag (estimate: $1,500-$2,500).

Day 3, Saturday, October 30th, will be bursting with 661 lots of art and advertising, Native Americana, transportation (air, auto, steamer, railroadiana and passes), ephemera, keys, lamps and model trains. A lot to watch is the hollow silver bead necklace with six bear claws capped with silver adornments, plus a central turquoise cabochon set in silver (estimate: $2,000-$4,000).

Day 4, Sunday, November 1st, will be just as busy, with 618 lots of mining ephemera and collectibles, stocks and bonds (mining, oil, railroad and miscellaneous, to include autographs, early American and Express), and numismatics (to include ingots, currency, scrip, ephemera, coins, medals, so-called dollars and tokens. Ingots have done especially well in prior auctions.

An expected Day 4 top achiever is a stock certificate signed by Bret Harte from 1863 for the Alta No. 2 Copper Mining Company (Del Norte County, Calif). This important and rare certificate was signed by the American short story writer and poet Bret Harte as secretary best. Harte was best known for his short fiction works featuring miners and gamblers of the California Gold Rush (estimate: $6,000-$10,000).

Other Day 4 highlights include a round container of 21.2 grams of gold and silver amalgam (estimate: $1,200-$1,200); an 1898-S $20 Liberty Head gold piece belt buckle and Western belt, by Silver Creek Collection, accented with lizard skin (estimate: $3,000-$4,000); and a 1947 50-peso Mexican gold coin (90 percent pure gold) with a 14-carat bezel (estimate: 2,600-$3,000).

Day 5, Monday, November 1st, will offer 648 lots of philatelic (postcards, covers and stamps), and bargains and dealer specials, which include general Americana, stocks and bonds, and numismatics. Sold on Day 5 will be a collection of Humboldt and Del Norte (Calif.) counties postcards, showing NorCal redwoods scenery along US 101, 125 pieces (estimate: $300-$600).

Online bidding via iCollector.com, LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Auctionzip.com. The full catalog can be viewed online now, at www.holabirdamericana.com. For those planning to attend the auction in person, regulations and protocols regarding COVID-19 will be enforced.

Color catalogs are available by calling 1-844-492-2766, or 775-851-1859.To learn more about Holabird Western Americana Collections and the Autumn Splendor Western Americana Auction planned for October 28th-November 1st, please visit www.holabirdamericana.com. Updates posted often.

Rafael Osona’s Aug. 7-8 Online Auction will Feature A Lincoln-Signed Document, A Rev-War Muster Roll, Rembrandt Etchings

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Nantucket, MA, USA, July 22, 2021 -/DailyVoice/- A Civil War document signed by then-President Abraham Lincoln and a rare 1775 American Revolutionary War Muster Roll are just a couple of the expected star lots in Rafael Osona Auctions’ annual, two-day online auction slated for the weekend of August 7th and 8th, at 9:30 am Eastern time both days. Over 700 lots will be sold.

The auction will be headlined by the Gail and Rich Mellin collection of Chinese export porcelain of Canton design, American furniture, fine arts and décor. The Mellins are esteemed antiques dealers in Canton and export porcelains and are offering Part 1 of their collection from their recently sold Connecticut residence; property from the descendants of Francis Elias Spinner, U.S. Treasurer appointed by Lincoln; and fine antique rugs, China Trade art, and export porcelains from the Marie and Rick Wackenhut collection from the Starbuck East Brick mansion in Nantucket.

The Day 1 auction on Saturday, August 7th, is titled Americana, Fine Art, Pacific Trade & Décor.

The Lincoln signed document with others will be part of the Day 1 offerings, which total more than 500 lots. The Lincoln lot is a signed presidential appointment, naming Francis E. Spinner as U.S. Treasurer, a post he held until 1875. The document, which also has the signature of Secretary of State William H. Seward, plus the Presidential seal, should bring $4,000-$6,000. Two Rembrandt etchings, titled Self-Portrait Leaning on a Stone Sill and The Windmill, descended in the Spinner collection.

An exceptional offering of six original paintings by the noted Nantucket artist Anne Ramsdell Congdon (1873-1958) will come up for bid, an example being an oil on board titled View from Mill Hill, and measuring 14 ¼ inches by 18 ½ inches (sight, less frame). The work depicts a figure, presumably Ruth Haviland Sutton, with Nantucket harbor off in the distance (estimate: $30,000-$50,000). It is a rare event for Osona Auctions to offer six works by this esteemed artist and the offerings happen to coincide with the Nantucket Historical Association’s major exhibit of over 40 works by Congdon titled Anne Ramsdell Congdon’s Nantucket Renaissance.

A featured lot from the Mellin collection is a rare late 18th century Canton fish bowl, 27 inches in diameter, the interior painted with a hills and stream landscape design encircled by multiple borders. It should reach $3,000-$5,000, while an equally scarce, 19th century Canton covered beefsteak platter with hot water reservoir (one of three known), 23 inches long, has an estimate of $5,000-$6,000.

Also from the Mellin collection are two China Trade fans. One, circa 1850, is very fine gouache on paper with carved bone sticks depicting an early view panel of an important seaport. The other, very fine gouache on paper with carved mother of pearl sticks, shows the ports of Macao, Canton and Hong Kong. The reverse of both is a figural Mandarin scene with applied bone painted faces and fabric clothing (each estimate: $7,000-$10,000).

A significant number of Chinese Export porcelains (from a private Nantucket collection) are sprinkled throughout the auction. One standout lot is a gorgeous pair of underglaze blue baluster vases with covers, circa 18th century, both 21 inches tall, with ten cartouche-shaped on versa pieces reserved from a chicken skin ground, applied leopard handles, a foo lion finial and gilt detailing (estimate: $25,000-$35,000).

Period carpets from the Marie and Rick Wackenhut collection, which decorated the recently sold East Brick in Nantucket – one of three mansion homes built by whale oil merchant Joseph Starbuck (1774-1861) for his three sons – will be sold. One is a beautiful antique Serapi handwoven wool carpet, produced circa 1890, measuring 9 feet 5 inches by 14 feet (estimate: $12,000-$15,000). Others are wonderful examples of Heriz, Ferahan Sarouk, and Mahal rugs.

Three oil on Masonite paintings by the Massachusetts artist Ralph Eugene Cahoon, Jr. (1910-1982) will cross the auction block. All are whimsical depictions that contain mermaids. They’re titled Quail Hollow (estimate: $25,000-$35,000), Sailor’s Surprise (estimate: $25,000-$35,000) and The Sea Fairies (estimate: $20,000-$30,000).

Shellwork include three pairs of 18th century French coquille figures of a man and woman with wood painted faces and hands, arms and legs. They have estimates ranging from $2,000-$5,000.

Shellwork furniture will also be offered. Lots include a 19th century shell-encrusted tall case clock with a dial painted by E. Sanford of Plymouth, Mass. (estimate: $5,000-$7,000); a circa 1870 Victorian shell-encrusted dresser with mirror, 80 inches tall (estimate: $3,000-$5,000); and a pair of shell-encrusted concrete obelisks, both 5 feet 8 inches tall (estimate: $3,000-$5,000).

Fine American furniture including untouched highboys, chest on chest, Windsor writing chairs, desks, bureaus, games tables, Tennessee sugar chest, Philadelphia cupboard will delight the collector; not to mention fine tea caddies, estate jewelry including a Cartier gold owl brooch, Nantucket lightship baskets, Bellamy carved framed mirror, Tiffany Studios daffodil lamp, Russian icons and an array of fine art and porcelains.

Day 2 titled The Marine Auction is held August 8th. One expected top lot is the Nantucket birdcage, circa 1870, made from whalebone, cherry wood and antique whale ivory by Joseph Clapp (1825-1909), similar to one in the collection of the Nantucket Historical Association. The wonderfully constructed, 18 inches tall by 18 ¾ inch wide birdcage should hit $25,000-$35,000.

Among the lots of 19th century scrimshaw whale teeth are three examples attributed to the Britannia Engraver from the first quarter 19th century, one depicting a British ship engaged in battle, 7 inches long; a pair of historically important scrimshaw and polychrome sperm whale teeth depicting a 28-star American flag with George Washington, commemorating the annexation of Texas to the United States occurring during the Mexican-American War of 1846 to 1848 by an unknown scrimshander. Both are estimated at $12,000-$18,000.

Walking sticks will feature a finely carved, circa 1850 antique whale ivory clenched fist with snake grip stick (estimate: $4,000-$6,000), a stick carved by the same hand with inlaid shaft sold at a previous Osona auction for $45,000. Ancillary offerings will include spinning jennies, pie crimpers, whalebone busks, tools, fids, swifts, watch hutches, beckets, harpoons, log book and documents.

An 18th century French prisoner-of-war bone ship model in a straw marquetry and parquetry case has an estimate of $10,000-$15,000. The finely detailed, fully outfitted 60-gun ship-of-the-line has a carved female figurehead and baleen, bone and brass pinned plank-on-frame hull, set on a baleen, wood and bone carved gallery stand, with two small ship finials.

An oil on canvas laid down to panel by a follower of Abraham Storck (Dutch, 1644-1708), titled Seascape with Two Dutch Man-o-War Off the Bay of Smyrna (early 18th century), measuring 56 inches by 64 ½ inches, should gavel for $5,000-$7,000. The painting previously sold at Christie’s (1983) and Sotheby’s (2003), plus other maritime art.

Internet bidding will be facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Bidsquare.com. Phone and absentee bids will be accepted (for more on this, visit www.RafaelOsonaAuctions.com). A live four-day exhibition preview will be held August 3rd thru 6th, from 10 am to 5 pm Eastern time, in the American Legion Hall located at 21 Washington Street on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts.

To learn more about Rafael Osona Auctions and the two-day auction (Americana, Fine Art, Pacific Trade & Décor on Aug. 7, Marine Auction on Aug. 8), visit www.RafaelOsonaAuctions.com.