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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Jackson Creek,CA - Calaveras County - 1 September 1850 - Gold Rush Letter :2468 - Jackson Creek,CA - Calaveras County - 1 September 1850 - Gold Rush Letter :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
lifornia. Crème, lined, lettersheet paper. Measures 7.25" x 9." Remnants remaining of the original red wax sealant. Some yellowin...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 800.00 - 1,500.00
Sold to 9***2 for 1,116.25
 
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Lemoore,CA - 1905/1919 - Wells Fargo & Co. Receipt Books :2469 - Lemoore,CA - 1905/1919 - Wells Fargo & Co. Receipt Books :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Lot of two. 1) Receipt book from F.F. Foster, Wells Fargo Agent at Lemoore, Visalia and Coalinga, with this stamp on the front cover. Typical Wells F
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 300.00 - 500.00
Sold to R*****n for 117.50
 
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Lincoln,CA - Placer County - November 1, 1863 - Thirty-One Union Gold & Silver Copper Mining Company2470 - Lincoln,CA - Placer County - November 1, 1863 - Thirty-One Union Gold & Silver Copper Mining Company
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Garden Bar District. Incorporated in 1863. Cert. #173, issued to W.L. Hart in 1863 for 25 shares. Signed by J.C. Crosby, president, and John Barnes, s
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 500.00 - 900.00
Sold to 8***8 for 381.88
 
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Mariposa,CA - 1880/1881 - North Hite/South Hite Gold Mining Co. :2471 - Mariposa,CA - 1880/1881 - North Hite/South Hite Gold Mining Co. :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Lot of two. 1) South Hite Gold Mining Co. Incorporated Jan 6, 1881. No. 1235 issued Dec. 9, 1881 for 100 shares to H.R. Griffin. Vignette of miners wo
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 300.00 - 400.00
Sold to 8***8 for 176.25
 
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Mariposa,CA - September 16, 1852 - Philadelphia and California Mining Company Stock :2472 - Mariposa,CA - September 16, 1852 - Philadelphia and California Mining Company Stock :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Unknown date of incorporation. Cert. # 1775, issued to Theodore Walter in 1852 for 50 shares. Signed by Pearson Serria, president, and L. Alter, secre
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 400.00 - 800.00
Sold to p********n for 352.50
 
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Mokelumne Hill,CA - Calaveras County - August 1, 1874 - Mokelumne and Campo Seco Canal Mining Compan2473 - Mokelumne Hill,CA - Calaveras County - August 1, 1874 - Mokelumne and Campo Seco Canal Mining Compan
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Cert. #112,issued to A.Goldsmith for 399 shares. Signed by S. Fourman, president, and by S.L. Trindle, secretary. Extensive vignette covering the enti
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 600.00 - 1,000.00
Sold to t********n.. for 352.50
 
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Nevada City,CA - 1862 - Banking House of H. Mackie & Co. Gold Dust Advertising Card and Gold Dust Re2474 - Nevada City,CA - 1862 - Banking House of H. Mackie & Co. Gold Dust Advertising Card and Gold Dust Re
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Nevada City,CA - 1862 - Banking House of H. Mackie & Co. Gold Dust Advertising Card and Gold Dust Receipt :
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 400.00 - 600.00
Sold to p********n for 293.75
 
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Nevada City,CA - November 21, 1851 - Enterprise Quartz Company Stock :2475 - Nevada City,CA - November 21, 1851 - Enterprise Quartz Company Stock :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
1851, California. Stock Certificate of the Enterprise Quartz Company, issued in Nevada City, California on November 21, 1851. Printed by the Nevada Jo
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 1,500.00 - 2,500.00
Sold to p********n for 1,527.50
 
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Nevada City,CA - Wells Fargo & Co. Gold Bar and Other Shipping Books :2476 - Nevada City,CA - Wells Fargo & Co. Gold Bar and Other Shipping Books :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Lot of two. 1) Small original shipping books from the Nevada City office of Wells Fargo for gold bars shipped. Six line entries per page. Bars were ty
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 1,000.00 - 2,000.00
Sold to 8***8 for 1,997.50
 
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Placerville,CA - 1907-1913 - Fairchild Family Letter Collection :2477 - Placerville,CA - 1907-1913 - Fairchild Family Letter Collection :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Lot of 38 letters from Mahlon D. Fairchild to daughter-in-law Francis Fairchild regarding California history. Mahlon Fairchild was a California pionee
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 5,000.00 - 7,500.00
Sold to 8***8 for 4,112.50
 
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Placerville,CA - Fairchild Letters From California Pioneers Collection :2478 - Placerville,CA - Fairchild Letters From California Pioneers Collection :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Lot of 23. This is an important group of letters that Frankie Fairchild received while researching California history under the tutelage of M.D. Fairc
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 3,500.00 - 5,000.00
Sold to 8***8 for 2,937.50
 
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Placerville,CA - 1897-1911 - Letter Archive from Myron Angel to M.D. Fairchild :2479 - Placerville,CA - 1897-1911 - Letter Archive from Myron Angel to M.D. Fairchild :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Lot of 60 letters, an original California archive from California/Nevada Historian Myron Angel to M.D. Fairchild. Incredibly important and publishable
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 7,500.00 | Estimate : 15,000.00 - 20,000.00
 
 
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Placerville,CA - 1850s - Myron Angel's Scrapbook :2480 - Placerville,CA - 1850s - Myron Angel's Scrapbook :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Large leather scrapbook. From the Fairchild Estate, Placerille. Myron Angel, one of the most noted authors of California and Nevada history of the nin
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 1,500.00 - 2,500.00
Sold to 8***8 for 1,175.00
 
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Placerville,CA - Gold Mining Daguerreotype :2481 - Placerville,CA - Gold Mining Daguerreotype :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Large, half-plate daguerreotype image of thirteen California gold miners at their work site near Hangtown. Three of the thirteen miners have shirts th
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 20,000.00 - 30,000.00
Sold to s********1 for 14,687.50
 
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Placerville,CA - El Dorado County - March 22,1853 - South Fork Canal Company Stock :2482 - Placerville,CA - El Dorado County - March 22,1853 - South Fork Canal Company Stock :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Incorporation date unknown. Cert. # 868, issued to P.M. Inschow for one share. Signed by President B.F. Reene and Secretary A. T. Taylor. Large vignet
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 250.00 | Estimate : 500.00 - 1,000.00
 
 
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Placerville,CA - 1861-1882 - Wells Fargo & Co. Placerville Documents :2483 - Placerville,CA - 1861-1882 - Wells Fargo & Co. Placerville Documents :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Lot of two. 1) Unused Wells Fargo franked cover for one half ounce mail paid from St. Joseph, Missouri to Placerville by Pony Expressed. 1861 2) An or
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 150.00 | Estimate : 300.00 - 600.00
 
 
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Rattlesnake,CA - 1855 - Wells Fargo Express Receipt for Gold Dust :2484 - Rattlesnake,CA - 1855 - Wells Fargo Express Receipt for Gold Dust :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Extremely rare receipt for a bag containing 22.03 ounces of gold dust sent from the Sierra County gold camp of Rattlesnake, later renamed La Porte, to
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 500.00 - 1,000.00
Sold to 0***6 for 705.00
 
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Sacramento,CA - 1851 - Adams & Co. Express Special Deposit Receipt :2485 - Sacramento,CA - 1851 - Adams & Co. Express Special Deposit Receipt :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Special Deposit receipt No. 678, for $800. Datelined Sacramento, November 19, 1851. Note certifies that Geo. Jefs deposited "eight hundred doll...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 150.00 - 300.00
Sold to c****n for 88.13
 
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Sacramento,CA - Descendants of 49'ers Club Banner :2486 - Sacramento,CA - Descendants of 49'ers Club Banner :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
This banner c.1890-1920 represents the common mission of Californians to pay tribute to the early pioneers and mining gold rush era. 49ers represent t
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 1,000.00 - 2,000.00
Sold to 9***0 for 940.00
 
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Sacramento,CA - 11 December 1851 - Gold Rush Letter :2487 - Sacramento,CA - 11 December 1851 - Gold Rush Letter :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
From Your Affectionate Husband, Octavius F. Jones to his Wife A. A. Jones. On crème letter sheet. It has three folds and some wear is evidence
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 600.00 - 1,500.00
Sold to 8*****B for 440.63
 
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