SOLD
11,000.00USD+ (2,145.00) buyer's premium + applicable fees & taxes.
This item SOLD at 2012 Dec 12 @ 14:58UTC-8 : PST/AKDT
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A full invoice should be emailed to the winner by the auctioneer within a day or two.
IMPORTANT NOTE ON BUYERS PREMIUMS:
Lot 100 to 343 have a premium of 15%.
The rest of the sale is 19.5% as noted in the listing.
Lot Pick Up: Holabird-Kagin Americana,
3555 Airway Drive Ste #309,
Reno NV 89511,
Sunday - December 9, 10am-4pm
c1883-1887 - The Sweetwater Mining Company silver ingot comes to us from the Western Collections of Richard Gooding, a major collector in Texas, who passed away a number of years ago. He had major collections of guns, Wells Fargo, and mining ephemera, all now long disbursed except the ingots, which were retained by the family until now. Family members also had strong mining ties, particularly with Alaska. This trapezoidal ingot is engraved on all six sides, burnished along the top edges. At 6 ounces, it measures 2.” x 1” x 0.5”. The ingot is marked:
Top: Sweetwater Mining Co. Treasure Hill, Nevada
Front side: Eugene D. Robinson, Managing Director
Right end: S.F. Paul, Superintendant (Supt.)
Back side: Chas W Havemeyer, President (scratched through)
Left end: F. W. Bouton, Secy.
Bottom: 6.ozs
The ingot appears to be an exhibition ingot used for public display, since it is not presented to any one person, or made by an assayer for a specific mine. It is one of less than five ingots from the White Pine region of Nevada, which held an important role in the mining history of the West. The Sweetwater Mining Company was formed in about 1883, having purchased or leased mine properties from the British funded Eberhardt & Aurora Company. The key mine in their holdings was the Original Hidden Treasure Mine–one of the best mines of the district–but they also owned the Stafford and other properties on the north end of Treasure Hill. Treasure Hill was one of two main mining camps in the White Pine (the other Hamilton) which were integral to the White Pine Rush of 1868-1869. The district was perhaps most famous for a “boom and bust” mentality, though production was nearly continuous for 100 years in different parts of the district. British investors quickly tied up all of the key mines, which left little room for speculators staking claims on worthless ground. The Sweetwater Mining Company had working sites at the north end of Treasure Hill as early as 1884. They had 14 properties, according to Burchard (1885). He further reported that since 1883 through the end of 1884, the Company had precious metal receipts of $73,350 (not reported in Couch & Carpenter). The Sweetwater MC ran a tunnel to the lower areas of the Hidden Treasure. 900 feet during 1883-4, and planned another 450 feet in 1885. The tunnel was being driven to search for deeper ore. The mine had been a winner for the Eberhardt and Aurora Mining Company, but the lack of near surface ore combined with fires at the mills in 1872 helped along their temporary demise. Eberhardt & Aurora successfully found some deeper ore at the Ward-Beecher in 1875. The Eberhardt & Aurora Company gave up in 1885 after spending a reported $5 million in exploration with little results, having sold off or leased various properties, including the Hidden Treasure to outside investors that included Havemeyer, Robinson et al. San Francisco assayer Thomas Price was sent to evaluate the area by the British interests, but his recommendations had to wait for new investors. The British abandoned their interests about 1885. While the district produced a reported $22 million from 1868-1885, little detail of the latter period is discussed in Jackson’s Treasure Hill. (1963) The district, however, never completely died. According to Roscoe Smith in Mineral Resources of White Pine County (1976), the mines at Treasure produced a little all the way through 1966.
From the records I was able to locate, activity by the Sweetwater Company ceased by the end of 1887. Stock certificates are known from the Sweetwater Mining Company.
The men whose names are engraved on this ingot are a typical cross section of the nineteenth century Nevada mining culture. One is a New York financier, one is a Nevada mining manager. Another is an assayer, and the third possibly a “corporate secretary.”
Chas. W. Havemeyer, president (scratched out).
Charles Havemeyer was a New York sugar merchant. He was part owner of a sugar refinery in New York City owned by his family. In the late 1870’s, five different Havemeyer (brothers?) owned three different businesses on Wall Street, nearly all adjacent to each other: Havemeyer, Estwick & Co., Havemeyer Bros., and Havemeyer & Elder. Charles lived on Long island [Trows New York Directories, various]. The scratched out name as it appears on the ingot may indicate that the ingot never belonged to Havemeyer, but may have belonged to Robinson, and Havemeyer may have become disassociated with the company.
Eugene D. Robinson, managing director; no records in Nevada census. Robinson appears to be a western mining man. He owned a store in Hamilton, where he may have amassed some wealth, which was partially parlayed into mining. Robinson is credited with building a large mill at Seligman, near Treasure Hill, circa 1886. Seligman had originally been called Leadville. A few of the merchants were those that moved to the new camp from Hamilton after the fire. Effie Read gave a quote from the White Pine News that gives a glimpse of Seligman at the time: “ Hong Hing was sent over from Seligman to Hamilton to await the grand jury on a charge of running a banking game of Fan Tan and keeping an opium den. There are about forty of these boss heathen there.” (pp36-37, White Pine Lang Syne, 1965) Robinson’s name appears on a number of Treasure Hill area stock certificates, and was thus a very active mining man locally. What is not known is whether he was one of the many African-American mining men that were a big part of the White Pine rush. (See my story on the Small-Saunders silver ingot several years ago.) Seligman was named for the Seligman brothers, British brokers who promoted the Eberhardt & Aurora Company.
S. F. Paul, mine superintendent. Born in Missouri, 1832. Assayer at Treasure Hill, 1870’s to 1880’s, according to various directories. By 1900, when Hamilton was all but gone, he had moved to the new mining camp of Ely and established himself as an assayer there. Paul was a county commissioner of White Pine in 1885 when the tragic and massive fire hit Hamilton and burned the court house. He and two others moved what was left to another building. Paul was involved in a shooting on 31 March 1886. Paul shot and killed James F. Rielly, an old time merchant and postmaster in Hamilton “during star route mail frauds”. A few months later, Reilly was “exonerated” and the “bells rang all day long”. The star route mail frauds were well known throughout the US at the time, but few knew that the mail frauds were as alive and as bad in White Pine County as anywhere in America. “Few perhaps knew that these frauds were practiced as boldly in White Pine County as any other section of the country”, wrote B.F. Miller in Nevada in the Making, (Part 2, NHS Papers, Viv, pp255-474; and White Pine Lang Syne, Effie Read, 1965.) Indeed, in a story that could come out of the 21st century, Federal investigators found that the Postal Service was paying exorbitant fees to some of the route operators. The Hamilton to Pioche route operator received $48,000 per year for years until it was uncovered, while the postmasters locally got less than $3000, except one in Hamilton, who got more than $3000 per year by buying enough stamps to make it look like they ran a large business. That postmaster got in trouble (caught) when he paid too many of his bills in stamps. Paul himself became Postmaster of Treasure City in 1879 and later Hamilton in 1892. (Patera, Rush to White Pine, 1988.)
F. W. Bouton, secty. Bouton appears to be a lawyer in New York, but this is an uncertain attribution. He is not found in Nevada records, San Francisco records (where most of the western mining companies were headquartered), or other easily searched mining records. As a mining secretary, he would likely be a broker or lawyer. -61596
Auction Location:
tlantis Casino & Resort, Grand Ballroom#4, 3800 S. Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada, 89502, United States
Previewing Details:
Holabird-Kagin Americana,
3555 Airway Drive Ste #309,
Reno NV 89511,
Friday - December 7, 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 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:
IMPORTANT NOTE ON BUYERS PREMIUMS:
Lot 100 to 343 have a premium of 15%.
The rest of the sale is 19.5% as noted in the listing.
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
IMPORTANT NOTE ON BUYERS PREMIUMS:
Lot 100 to 343 have a premium of 15%.
The rest of the sale is 19.5% as noted in the listing.
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.
4. Agent Bidding: There are numerous professional agents available to assist you should you require this service. Please contact the office for a list or to arrange for representation on the floor during the live auction.
5. Live Auction Absentee Bidding: Absentee bids for the live auction must be received by Friday, December 7, 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.
6. Internet Bidding: Absentee and Live internet bidding are both available through our live auction network. If you wish to bid LIVE via the internet, you MUST pre-register. A live video and sound feed will be accessible during the auction for those bidding via the internet. Online bidding remains open through the live auction and online absentee bids may be placed anytime. Live bidding will open when the auction starts. Internet bidding is offered as a convenience for those who cannot attend the live sale. Please note that there may be delays or interruptions in internet connectivity that are beyond our control. Attending the live auction or arranging for an agent is the most reliable way to secure your bids.
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 include 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 calendar days of receipt of invoice, payment is due in full to Holabird-Kagin Americana, 3555 Airway Dr., #308, Reno, NV 89511. 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. 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.
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. Non-Payment: Any lots not paid for within specified time frames will be cancelled. Any bidder who fails to follow the terms of payment may be barred from participating in future Holabird-Kagin Americana auctions, and will not be included on catalog mailing lists.
21. Return Policy: All items are guaranteed to be authentic unless otherwise noted. 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.
22. This sale is being held under the laws of the states of Nevada and California.
23. Neither Kagin’s, Inc. nor its subsidiary auction company Holabird-Kagin Americana shall 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.
We strongly recommend that you attend the live preview to see lots in their entirety. Conditions are not always noted, and large lots may not be itemized due to catalog restraints. For questions, detailed information, or additional images of any lot please contact our office at 775-852-8822. Bidders are responsible for understanding the condition of items. Condition noted are subjective, and may differ in the opinion of different people or collectors.