THE GOLDEN WEST AUCTIONS

Auction Details

The Golden West Sale encompasses three sessions of auctions covering some of the most important historical western material from the Gold Rush periods of California, Nevada and Colorado. The material has been assembled from many of the great western collections, as well as original material handed down within Gold Rush families, held intact for over 100 years.
Session A of the Golden West Sale encompasses the annual WESTS (Western States Token Society) token auction. This year the highlight is clearly and unarguably the finest Western Indian Trader, Fort & Territorial collection ever assembled at public auction. The more than 500 lot sale contains dozens of R9 and R10 tokens, many of which have not seen the light of day in at least four decades. Some ephemera also is included from Indian Trader sites. Indian Trader tokens are an important form of money exchanged between Indians and Anglos in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Trading Posts were a way of life in the isolated outposts of the western plains and mountains, swapping furs, rugs, coats and other items for food stuffs and equipment. There has never been a sale of this magnitude and importance. The end of this sale will include a comprehensive collection of Naval tokens never before offered and with NO ESTIMATES or MINIMUM BID REQUIREMENTS, as this offering will set the pricing precedent for naval tokens.
Session B encompasses many of the popular collecting categories. It includes a strong photograph collection of American saloon interiors, saloon ephemera and Gold Rush region saloon tokens, also known as Pioneer Minor Coinage. Part of the saloon section includes a large collection of the ultra-rare Good-for mirrors, one of the rarest forms of money, many with pictorial representations of the fabulous “gay-90’s” saloon girls, as well as advertising mirrors. This is the largest mirror offering since the Rosa sale of 1988. Most of the mirrors are so rare that only one to three specimens of each are known. The session will be rounded out by a collection of So-called dollars and Hibler Kappen related material, $50 slug facsimiles, Chopmarked coins, Golden Gate International Exposition Medals and more. Much of this section is from the well-known Bill Weber Collection.
Session C The highlight of the sale is certainly the newly discovered Washington Nugget, a nearly 100 ounce nugget (and several others) found in an unmined section of the Omega-Malakoff Tertiary Channel in February, 2010 that made national news. The nuggets are accompanied by two large original nineteenth-century bullion scales (Christian Becker, New York; Henry Troemner, Philadelphia), It is accompanied in the sale by some masterful original Gold Rush art, inclusive of a spectacular and early rendition of a miner, several broadsides- a miner in lithographic form, panoramic views of mining communities, a number of original Currier & Ives prints of the Gold Rush and Salt Lake City, stage coach pieces, and the Alaska 1893 Yukon/Alaska Miners Union Banner.
A massive Gold Rush banking collection covers the 1850’s through 1860’s in California and Nevada, with what is probably the largest Gold Rush period banking collection ever offered publicly. It contains more than 100 different Bills of Exchange, a form of the first circulating currency on the West Coast. A wonderful and large collection of Gold Rush banking documents augments this fine collection, along with original leather gold pokes and money belts.
Some of the highlights of the Gold Rush Collection are documents from the original 1910 San Francisco sale of the estate of James King of William, documents signed by Adolph Sutro, California coiner F. D. Kohler, and others. A very rare letter book from Nevada mining and railroad magnate Hume Yerington from the mid-1860’s contains incredible information about his life prior to his railroad successes.
A large collection of US Mint ephemera is included, including rare bullion receipts, photographs, lithograph, gold coin and other coin bank bags, as well as rare Carson City gold and silver coins. Accompanying the Mint ephemera is a section of California Counters and rare California Gold Rush tokens.
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Virginia City,NV - Storey County - Nevada Photo Group, Post-1900 :3813 - Virginia City,NV - Storey County - Nevada Photo Group, Post-1900 :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Lot of seven. Included are: Packet of miniature (2 x 3”) photographs (approximately 25) of Virginia City and environs; a 5 x 7” magazine page with pho
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 100.00 - 200.00
Sold to r***6 for 58.75
 
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Virginia City,NV - Storey County - 1879 - Nevada Supreme Court Document :3814 - Virginia City,NV - Storey County - 1879 - Nevada Supreme Court Document :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
This Nevada Supreme Court document lists Brophy Mining Company as the Plaintiff vs. Brophy and Dale Gold and Silver Mining Company as the Defendant. T
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Start Price : 50.00 | Estimate : 100.00 - 200.00
 
 
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Virginia City,NV - Storey County - 1886 - North Bonanza Mining Company Stock :3815 - Virginia City,NV - Storey County - 1886 - North Bonanza Mining Company Stock :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Certificate #4526, issued to W.W. Stetson, Trustee in 1886 for 100 shares. Stock was issued from San Francisco. Both president and secretary signatu
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Start Price : 75.00 | Estimate : 150.00 - 200.00
 
 
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Virginia City,NV - Storey County - Past All Dishonor, Book :3816 - Virginia City,NV - Storey County - Past All Dishonor, Book :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Past All Dishonor by James M. Cain- 1947 book on the west and the silver boom. This is small red hardcover copy with the initials JMC imprinted in the
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Start Price : 38.00 | Estimate : 75.00 - 100.00
 
 
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Virginia City,NV - Storey County - 1868, 1883 - Savage Mining Company Documents :3817 - Virginia City,NV - Storey County - 1868, 1883 - Savage Mining Company Documents :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Two documents from the Savage Mining Company in Virginia City, NV. The first is an assay receipt for services for the month of November 1883, indicati
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Start Price : 75.00 | Estimate : 150.00 - 300.00
 
 
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Virginia City,NV - Storey County - 1961 - Silver on the Washoe, Book :3818 - Virginia City,NV - Storey County - 1961 - Silver on the Washoe, Book :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Silver on the Washoe, A book of poetry by by Irene Stone, 1961. Velvet paperback. No page numbers.
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Start Price : 20.00 | Estimate : 40.00 - 60.00
 
 
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Virginia City,NV - Storey County - 1925 - The Drama of Virginia City, Publication :3819 - Virginia City,NV - Storey County - 1925 - The Drama of Virginia City, Publication :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
By Lord Eliot, copyrighted 1925 by the Nevada Branch of the American Association of University Women. No dust jacket, green cover. This book is a rep
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Start Price : 50.00 | Estimate : 100.00 - 200.00
 
 
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Virginia City,NV - Storey County - The Mystery of the Savage Sump Book :3820 - Virginia City,NV - Storey County - The Mystery of the Savage Sump Book :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
The Mystery of the Savage Sump by Sam Davis, 11pg paperback, Rare. Sam Davis writes about two investors in the Comstock Lode who played the San Franci
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Start Price : 38.00 | Estimate : 75.00 - 150.00
 
 
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Virginia City,NV - Storey County - 1937 - The Sage of the Comstock Lode: Boom Days in Virginia City,3821 - Virginia City,NV - Storey County - 1937 - The Sage of the Comstock Lode: Boom Days in Virginia City,
Holabird-Kagin Americana
The Saga of the Comstock Lode: Boom Days in Virginia City by George D. Lyman 1937 – A book on the classic history of the Comstock Lode in Virginia Cit
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Start Price : 20.00 | Estimate : 40.00 - 60.00
 
 
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Virginia City,NV - Storey County - 1878 - V&T Railroad Shipment Vouchers to Yellow Jacket Smelter :3822 - Virginia City,NV - Storey County - 1878 - V&T Railroad Shipment Vouchers to Yellow Jacket Smelter :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Lot of two Freight Vouchers with Overcharge Statements on shipments from Reno to the Yellow Jacket Smelter in Gold Hill. Details of the shipments and
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Start Price : 50.00 | Estimate : 100.00 - 150.00
 
 
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Virginia City,NV - Storey County - 1880-1930s - Virginia and Truckee Railroad Ephemera Collection :3823 - Virginia City,NV - Storey County - 1880-1930s - Virginia and Truckee Railroad Ephemera Collection :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Lot of approximately 60 pieces. Included are: receipts, passes, bills of lading, invoices, correspondence, tickets, way-bills, a daily ticket report,
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Start Price : 100.00 | Estimate : 200.00 - 300.00
 
 
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Virginia City,NV - Storey County - 1900-1910 - Virginia City Brass Fob :3824 - Virginia City,NV - Storey County - 1900-1910 - Virginia City Brass Fob :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
A rectangular brass Fob reading: Commemorating the/ Discovery of Silver/ and showing a scene much like the Nevada state seal, with a prospector and hi
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Estimate : 50.00 - 100.00
Sold to 1***6 for 29.38
 
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Virginia City,NV - Storey County - 1869-1914 - Virginia City Photograph and Lithograph Reproductions3825 - Virginia City,NV - Storey County - 1869-1914 - Virginia City Photograph and Lithograph Reproductions
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Lot of six reproduced photographs and lithographs from Virginia City NV. The items all measure 8” X 10” and include the following: 1) Lithograph of Go
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Start Price : 50.00 | Estimate : 100.00 - 200.00
 
 
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Virginia City,NV - Storey County - c1920 - Virginia City Prints :3826 - Virginia City,NV - Storey County - c1920 - Virginia City Prints :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Lot of two identical early, colored photographic prints of Virginia City, produced by Standard Oil Company of California. Both are mounted on matting
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Start Price : 25.00 | Estimate : 50.00 - 100.00
 
 
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Virginia City,NV - Storey County - 1866, 1877 - Virginia, NV Checks :3827 - Virginia City,NV - Storey County - 1866, 1877 - Virginia, NV Checks :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Lot of three checks originating from Virginia, NV. Checks are from different sources. The checks are: 1) May 28, 1866 check from the Superintendent’s
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 40.00 - 60.00
Sold to c****n for 24.68
 
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Virginia City,NV - Storey County - October 31, 1866 - Wells Fargo & Co.'s Express Bullion Receipt :3828 - Virginia City,NV - Storey County - October 31, 1866 - Wells Fargo & Co.'s Express Bullion Receipt :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Standard Wells Fargo & Co.'s Express bullion receipt for shipment of Comstock bullion to San Francisco. This receipt covers 8 bars of bullio...
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Estimate : 150.00 - 250.00
Sold to p********n for 88.13
 
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Virgnina City,NV - Storey County - 1915-1952 - Building Fronts Post Cards :3829 - Virgnina City,NV - Storey County - 1915-1952 - Building Fronts Post Cards :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Collection of nine white border real photo post cards. Three are used, six are un-used. Various shots of the front of Virginia City buildings.
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Start Price : 50.00 | Estimate : 100.00 - 200.00
 
 
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Washoe County,NV - 1911-1951 - Pioneers and Investors :3830 - Washoe County,NV - 1911-1951 - Pioneers and Investors :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Lot of three includes: 1) Pioneer Nevada, published by Harolds Cub, Reno NV, copyright 1951. Hardcover, indexed, 207 pages including appendix and many
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Estimate : 50.00 - 100.00
Sold to 8***8 for 29.38
 
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Washoe/Virginia,NV - Gold Rush Bullion Shipment Receipts :3831 - Washoe/Virginia,NV - Gold Rush Bullion Shipment Receipts :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Lot of three. 1) Handwritten receipt issued Sept. 17, 1866 to Charles Bonner, Esq. For 221 lhs bullion. Atchison Mill Office noted at top right. The A
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Estimate : 150.00 - 250.00
Sold to p********n for 88.13
 
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Weepah,NV - Esmeralda County - 1927 - Vista of Mining Town Photograph :3832 - Weepah,NV - Esmeralda County - 1927 - Vista of Mining Town Photograph :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
This is a nice photo of the Weepah boom that began in 1927. Photograph measures 4 ½”x2 ¾”, no matte, high contrast, and focus is sharp. ...
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Start Price : 50.00 | Estimate : 100.00 - 150.00
 
 
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