1380
Duncan’s Chinese Salesrooms, One Dollar Share Note CA - San Francisco,2012aug - Numismatic
Currency:USD
Category:Collectibles / Western Americana
Start Price:1,500.00 USD
Estimated At:3,000.00 - 10,000.00 USD
NOT SOLD (BIDDING OVER)
0.00USD+ applicable fees & taxes.
This item WAS NOT SOLD. Auction date was 2012 Aug 18 @ 10:00UTC-7 : PDT/MST
Invoicing and lot pick up will NOT be available at the live auction.
One Dollar share note. “Shares one dollar” “Second California Art Union” “$85,000 in shares of $1.00 each” Printed by B. F. Butler, San Francisco, no date. Printed signature of J. C. Duncan at lower right. Blue paper. On the reverse is “1853” in pencil. This note, or share certificate, is certainly one of the most important notes to surface in recent years.
Joseph C. Duncan came to San Francisco and the Gold Rush in 1850. Born in Philadelphia, he managed a magazine in Illinois before managing the New Orleans Crescent in 1848. Caught up with the news of the gold rush, he ventured to California to enter the printing trade, probably one of the first in that business. His press was destroyed in 1851, causing Duncan to explore other businesses, including real estate. Duncan was an advanced art aficionado. He was “characterized as one of the first to introduce and encourage art in a liberal and critical spirit”, as noted by editors Starr and Orsi in “Rooted In Barbarous Soil” published in 2000. He was the first president of the San Francisco Art Association. As a collector, Duncan acquired many quality paintings and along the way met many of the art dealers of Europe. During 1853 and 1854 he travelled to Europe where he bought a large number of paintings by many of the great artists of Europe, including Van Dyke.
During the trip he concocted a marketing scheme of utter brilliance. His gallery on Montgomery Street was perfectly situated for the paintings to be seen by the wealth of San Francisco. His salesroom was known as the Duncan’s Chinese Salesroom, and the scheme involved the forming of the second California Art Union. The property of the Union was the group of paintings he acquired in Europe, which he transferred to the stockholders through the sale of his One Dollar notes. The First California Art Union was formed in 1850 by an Act of the State Legislature authorizing the Trustees of the Union to “save and distribute Art.” Duncan, an avid art collector and promoter, seized on the original idea and went a step or two further, creating the second Art Union.
Once the paintings were on display in Duncan’s studio on Montgomery Street, the sale of notes began. “In a scheme perfectly suited to the reckless, gambling, go-ahead spirit of the gold rush, Californians purchased 100,000 tickets (shares or notes) at $1 each, which, in mid-November were drawn from a wheel of fortune at the Metropolitan Theatre. Over the course of two days, in a great spectacle that provided entertainment and promoted culture, 6,000 superb articles were distributed to the crush of excited Californians who jammed the theatre.” (Starr & Orsi). The paintings and art were given away to shareholders (those with the notes) in lottery style. An interesting side bar is that historians maintain Duncan sold 100,000 notes, but the note itself shows 85,000. Did Duncan really sell 15,000 more? Is the inflated number an historical exaggeration? Probably the latter, but only more research will tell. The event was wildly successful, in any case.
By 1856, Duncan bought or formed the Daily Globe and later the California Home Journal, an artsy magazine sometimes available to collectors today. He organized the Pioneer Bank of Savings and Deposit sometime after the 1855 bank crash created by Adams & Co. BY 1875, Duncan’s bank had more than $1.1 million in deposits. He also formed the Safe Deposit Company of San Francisco in 1874, complete with its own four story stone building. Unfortunately, both of these banks failed in 1877 amid many charges, of which Duncan was later exonerated. [Cross, History of Banking in California]
This piece is presently one of two known (R8) to the author. It is printed in classic California Gold Rush style. The serial number is hand written, and this specimen has a code of some sort written above “California.” This is serial number 53,496. -59963
Auction Location:
Atlantis Casino Resort ~ 3800 S. Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada, 89502, United States
Previewing Details:
Preview:
Holabird-Kagin Americana Office
3555 Airway Drive Suite#309
Reno, NV 89511
(Full preview, all items will be available for viewing)
Thursday - August 16, 12pm-6pm
Atlantis Casino & Resort
(Partial preview. Some of the oversized items will not be available for previewing at the Atlantis)
Friday Aug 17, 10am-6pm
Saturday Aug 18, 10am-6pm
Sales tax will apply, according to state law, for any items that ship to Nevada or California or are picked
up at our Reno, Nevada location, unless a current, valid re-sale certificate is provided at the time of
purchase.
Taxes:
| Tax | Rate | Desc. |
| NST |
7.725% |
Nevada Sales Tax: |
| CST |
9% |
California Sales Tax: |
Buyer's Premiums:
| From (Incl.) | To (Excl.) | Premium |
| 0.00 |
Infinite |
19.5% |
Additional Fees:
Shipping Details:
Shipping: Shipping will be estimated prior to invoicing, based on the size and weight of your purchase. Additional shipping fees may be invoiced seperately. The buyer is responsible for arranging and paying for shipment of large or special items. A $5 handling fee will be included in the shipping charge. The customer is responsible for all shipping charges. We do not ship any purchases until the auction invoice is paid in full. Purchases will be shipped via our approved, insured carriers, Federal Express or the US Postal Service. All items shipped Federal Express will be insured for the full value determined at auction by Holabird-Kagin Americana at no extra cost to the buyer. Federal Express shipments will be sent the Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday following receipt of payment. Pick up is available from our Reno office the next business day after the auction. NOTE: Some shipments (of unusual size, dimension, or weight) may require special handling for which individual costs will be calculated and applied to the shipping charge on the invoice.
Payment Details:
We accept Visa, Master Card, Money Order/Cashiers Check, Person Check, PayPal: HKAEbayRep@yahoo.com. A 3% discount is applied to the Buyer’s Premium on all sales. That discount will be reversed if payment is made with a credit card or through PayPal.
Accepted Payment Methods:
- VISA
- Master Card
- Money Order/Bank Draft
- Check/Cheque
- PayPal
Terms and Conditions
1. This is a Live Auction.
2. Live (Floor) Bidding: Please arrive a few minutes early to check in and receive your bidding paddle. We will open lots with more than one bid at the current high absentee bid or 50% of the low estimate at the auctioneer’s discretion. Please be sure to bid on the correct lots during the live auction. Our auction progress is at a rate of between 100 and 200 lots per hour. When the auctioneer says “sold”, he will identify the successful bidder by number and announce the winning bid amount. If you are not sure whether you won the lot or not, it is your responsibility to ask for clarification immediately. Tie bids are awarded to the first absentee bid placed if not advanced on the floor, or by a phone bidder, whoever is first. Auctioneer reserves the right to reopen the lot in the case of an immediate dispute at the actual time of the sale.
3. Telephone Bidding: Telephone bidding requests MUST be scheduled prior to this auction. If you do not schedule in advance, and choose instead to call on the day of the auction to request a line for bidding, you may find that we are unable to accommodate your request. Please limit your telephone bids to items of value greater than $500, or to a string of items with a similar total.
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5. Live Auction Absentee Bidding: Absentee bids for the live auction will be accepted until Thursday, August 16, 2012 at 5pm PST. It is your responsibility to submit all lot numbers and bid amounts accurately. Absentee bids should be equal to at least 50% of the low estimate if an estimate is provided. Bids on “No Lots” or “Withdrawn” Lots are considered no-bids. Bids made in amounts that do not conform to the bid increment table in item 8 below will be automatically rounded up or down by the computer, or rounded to the nearest proper bid increment at the discretion of the auctioneer.
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WARNING: Auction participation through the live internet bidding site is not 100% foolproof. The technology for this process is still under review and development, and the operation of it, and the corresponding internet connectivity issues are far beyond our control. Some folks have attempted to use the live internet bidding process as their primary method of bidding, and have been quite successful. Others have failed completely. Depending upon your computer, server, host and other factors, internet signals may be delayed, such that bids may not be received in time. We cannot be held responsible for these delays, or for the lack of placed bids in a timely manner, or any other factors leading to unaccepted bids that are far beyond our control. Bidders should always have a backup plan for lots they highly desire. Live participation is best, followed by phone participation. We will not reopen lots for missed bids.
7. Reserves: Most of the lots in this auction are unreserved. Gold is generally reserved at or near spot, though it could be slightly below spot.
8. Bidding Increments: All bids must be submitted in U.S. dollars and in whole dollar amounts only in the appropriate increments as outlined below. IF you choose to submit bids in an increment not listed below, your bid will be rounded to the nearest increment and you will be expected to pay the amount to which the bid was rounded should your bid be the winning bid. If you have any questions about an appropriate bid amount, please call us.
From: To: Increment:
$0 $29 $1
$30 $95 $5
$100 $190 $10
$200 $475 $25
$500 $1,450 $50
$1,500 $3,400 $100
$3,500 $9,750 $250
$10,000 $max $500
9. Bid Reduction: All winning absentee bids will be reduced, if necessary, to the next bidding increment up from the last competing bid, as long as the minimum bid requirement has been met. For example, if you submit an absentee bid of $1000 and the next highest competing bid is $250, then you will win the lot for $275.
10. Bid Information: Collectors often ask in advance the price level of a particular lot. We will give out the current high absentee bid until we close the day before the live auction. You may also view absentee bids online at www.holabirdamericana.com.
11. Bid Cancellation: If you wish to cancel or change a bid after you have submitted your bids to us due to an error, you MUST PHONE us to advise us of this. Bid cancellations through mail, email, or fax are not advisable. Errors are easy to make and we are happy to assist all callers.
12. All stock certificates, checks, warrants, and other financial documents sold herein are sold as antiquities, and have no financial, securities, or public trading value whatsoever.
13. We reserve the right to reject any bid we feel is not made in good faith.
14. The placing of a bid shall constitute the bidder’s acceptance of these terms of sale.
15. Buyer’s Premium: There will be a 19.5% Buyer’s Premium added to each lot. US coins, nuggets, and bullion are calculated at a 15% buyer’s premium. These premiums includes a 3% discount for transactions paid with cash, checks, money orders or wire transfers. All other forms of payment are not subject to the 3% discount and the Buyer’s Premium will be calculated at 22.5% (18% on US coins, gold, & currency.)
16. Sales Tax: Sales tax will apply, according to state law, for any items that ship to Nevada (7.725%) or California (9.0%) unless a current, valid resale certificate is faxed to us at 775-852-8866 before bids are placed.
17. Invoicing: Shipping charges will be added to all invoices. Invoices are mailed or emailed within two business days after the close of all portions of the sale. Within 15 days of receipt of invoice, payment is due in full to Holabird-Kagin Americana, 3555 Airway Dr., #308, Reno, NV 89511. We accept cash, personal checks, money orders, wire transfers, etc. All returned checks are subject to a $25 fee. Cash received in amounts greater than $10,000 is subject to the filing of IRS form 8300, as required by law. Sales tax will be added to all sales picked-up after the auction or shipped to California or Nevada addresses, according to state law, unless a resale certificate is provided.
18. Payment: We accept Visa, Master Card, Money Order/Cashier’s Check, Personal Check, PayPal: HKAEbayRep@yahoo.com. A 3% discount is applied to the Buyer’s Premium on all sales. That discount will be reversed if payment is made with a credit card or through PayPal.
19. Shipping: Shipping will be estimated prior to invoicing, based on the size and weight of your purchase. Additional shipping fees may be invoiced seperately. The buyer is responsible for arranging and paying for shipment of large or special items. A $5 handling fee will be included in the shipping charge. The customer is responsible for all shipping charges. We do not ship any purchases until the auction invoice is paid in full. Purchases will be shipped via our approved, insured carriers, Federal Express or the US Postal Service. All items shipped Federal Express will be insured for the full value determined at auction by Holabird-Kagin Americana at no extra cost to the buyer. Federal Express shipments will be sent the Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday following receipt of payment. Pick up is available from our Reno office the next business day after the auction. NOTE: Some shipments (of unusual size, dimension, or weight) may require special handling for which individual costs will be calculated and applied to the shipping charge on the invoice.
20. Return Policy: All items are guaranteed to be authentic. If authenticity is challenged, please call our office for assistance. You may return any piece that was significantly inaccurately described by calling our office within one week of receipt of item(s) and notifying us of the error and reason for return. We do not refund postage or insurance. We have attempted to describe the items and their condition accurately. If no condition is given, assume average. Please call us if you require a more specific condition report. Any items that are returned must be returned in the exact, unaltered condition. NGC certified tokens that are returned must be original, unaltered NGC holders. Any tokens removed from the original NGC/NCS certification holders or items returned in an altered condition are deemed not returnable under any circumstances. When we receive your bids we will assume you have read the description in the catalog, viewed the image of the item, have contacted us regarding any questions you may have on any lot and/or have previewed the lot in person. Therefore, returns are only accepted if prior approval is given by Holabird-Kagin Americana.
21. This sale is being held under the laws of the states of Nevada and California.
22. Neither Kagin’s, Inc. nor its subsidiary auction company Holabird-Kagin Americana shall not be held responsible for any problem due to the bidders failure to follow the rules, terms and conditions of this sale, or any failure to bid due to the loss of the online auction process provided by any of the online auction networks; or missed bids, changed bids or cancelled due the bidders failure to follow the proper bidding procedure outlined herein.