SOLD
9,000.00USD+ (1,575.00) buyer's premium + applicable fees & taxes.
This item SOLD at 2011 Mar 16 @ 16:11UTC-7 : PDT/MST
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“PRESENTED TO ROBINSON MILLER, a seaman attached to the Amer. Ship Lucy Thompson by the MERCHANTS & CITIZENS of NEW YORK as a testimonial of their deep sense of his human and courageous conduct in assisting to rescue the passengers, officers & crew of the Steamer San Francisco in their perilous exposure on the ocean after the destructive gale of the 24 December 1853.” This medal was awarded to Seaman Miller for singularly distinguishing himself while participating in the rescue and life saving efforts associated with the sinking of the S.S. San Francisco.
By all accounts Seaman Miller was only one of the many crewmembers on board nearby passing ships that rendered aid and assistance to those on board the S.S. San Francisco. As a result Miller and a few other brave sailors were singled out for individual acts of heroism as the inscription on this medal notes - for his “courageous conduct” as the sinking San Francisco’s passengers and crew were experiencing “their perilous exposure on the ocean.”
As bad as the loss of life was, it could have been much worse for those on board the sinking ship. Given the weather conditions and the duration and intensity of the storm between the time it was encountered on December 24th and several days later when the last of the survivors were finally removed from the distressed ship, all 750 persons on board the S.S. San Francisco could easily have perished had Miller and men like him not put their own lives in jeopardy to render assistance.
One of the survivors gave the following eyewitness account of conditions: “The sea was a complete mess of foam – boiling and swelling like a cauldron.” He also recalled “the sky was black with clouds, the rain poured in torrents, and in all directions the vision was limited by roaring billows white with froth and foam, the wind blew a perfect hurricane.” [Ref: Daily Alta California, February 16, 1854] The same article paints an even gloomier image regarding those who lost their lives: “From all sides came the piercing cries of the drowning soldiers.” He went on to explain that the storm was so violent that “no efforts were made to rescue any, for all efforts to that end were useless.”
The storm quickly overpowered the San Francisco with deadly results. “Two days after leaving New York, the San Francisco’s lifeboats were washed away, her upper saloon and promenade decks were pounded into splinters by the crashing waves and her engines were drowned. Soon afterwards, she lost her masts and both funnels and was tossed about helpless amid high waves, her fate and the lives of her passengers and crew uncertain.” [Ref: Stack’s Catalog, John J. Ford Collection].
We believe the depiction on the obverse of the medal of rough seas, and specifically that of seamen in a lifeboat going to the aid of persons on board the sinking ship, is in itself sufficient testimony of their selfless acts of heroism. Exactly what specific heroic deed or deeds seaman Miller undertook that ultimately lead to his rescuer’s medal is an elusive mystery today - just 154 years after the fact. Was he one of the crewmen who manned the little rescue boat pictured on the medal? Surely additional research would confirm or disprove this theory. Regardless, Miller was at the very least partly responsible for saving the lives of many who otherwise would have been lost to the depths of the ocean.
The sinking occurred during the height of the California gold rush. It was a time when the exploits of brave men, some real and some contrived, often appeared in print. All of the passengers aboard the S.S. San Francisco were traveling to California, and some probably had dreams of becoming rich miners, but there were also nearly 500 military personal on board, 150 of who were lost as a giant wave swept them overboard in a single instant.
“On the 28th of December the Boston Bark Kilby, in spite of heavy weather took a hundred survivors on board, then was obliged t
Auction Location:
Each session will be held at different locations, Sacramento, California, 95815, United States
Previewing Details:
The auction for session C will be held at the Sacramento Convention Center 1400 J Street 95814 Room #308. Previews for this session will be on Tuesday March 15th from 12pm to 6pm, and on Wednesday March 16th from 10am to 4pm at the Convention Center in Room #310.
Tax Details: Nevada sales tax will be added to all orders pick up at our location in Reno, NV or shipped to an address in Nevada unless a valid resale certificate is provided prior to invoicing. California sales tax will be added to all orders picked up in California or shipped to an address in California unless a valid resale certificate is provided prior to invoicing. Resale certificates can be faxed to 775-852-8866 BEFORE the auction closes.
Taxes:
| Tax | Rate | Desc. |
| NST |
7.725% |
Nevada Sales Tax: |
| CST |
8.75% |
California Sales Tax: |
| CSTx |
9% |
California Sales Tax |
Buyer's Premiums:
| From (Incl.) | To (Excl.) | Premium |
| 0.00 |
Infinite |
17.5% |
Additional Fees:
Shipping Details:
Shipping will be calculated prior to invoicing, based on the size and weight of your purchase. 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:
A 3% cash discount is applied to the Buyer’s Premium on all sales. That 3% discount will be reversed is payment is made by credit card or through Paypal.
Accepted Payment Methods:
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- See Payment Details
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1. This is a Live Auction which includes an important Mail Bid/Absentee Only Section.
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 150 and 240 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.
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7. Mail-Bid/Absentee Only Section Bidding: A portion of this sale is designated as “Mail-Bid” or “Absentee Only”. The Mail-Bid/Absentee Only portion of the sale will close after the live auction, Tuesday March 16, 2011 at 5pm PDT. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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
10. 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.
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13. 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.
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17. 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 re-sale certificate is faxed to us at 775-852-8866 before bids are placed.
18. 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. Payment is due in full within 15 days of receipt of invoice 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 8300 forms, 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.
19. Payment: 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.
20. Shipping: Shipping will be calculated prior to invoicing, based on the size and weight of your purchase. 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.
21. 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. Items may, or may not, carry lengthy descriptions, which is at the sole discretion of the auctioneer. Lengthy descriptions shall be considered as “industry standard.” 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.
22. This sale is being held under the laws of the State of Nevada.
23. 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 due to the loss of the online auction process provided by any the online auction network; or missed bids, changed bids or cancelled due the bidders failure to follow the proper bidding procedure outlined herein.