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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San Francisco,CA - 1894 - Crocker, H.S.  Lithograph :2511 - San Francisco,CA - 1894 - Crocker, H.S. Lithograph :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Pinxit of George H. Burgess’ original drawing of the City in July of 1849. His original drawing is in the bottom left corner. Burgess traveled throug
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 150.00 | Estimate : 300.00 - 750.00
 
 
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San Francisco,CA - c1829-1851 - DuBosq, Theodore Silver Spoons :2512 - San Francisco,CA - c1829-1851 - DuBosq, Theodore Silver Spoons :
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Three beautiful silver teaspoons with pointed bowls. The handles are engraved in script with the letters L.A.B. circled by a garland of leaves. Mark
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 1,000.00 - 1,200.00
Sold to 8*****B for (650.00 + 113.75BP) = 763.75
 
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San Francisco,CA - 1850 - Five Dollar Gold Moffat Love Token :2513 - San Francisco,CA - 1850 - Five Dollar Gold Moffat Love Token :
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1850 Moffat & Co. Gold five dollar piece fashioned into a love token pinback. Black letter or gothic "W" engraved on reverse. Fancy en...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 2,000.00 - 3,000.00
Sold to 5***0 for (2,800.00 + 490.00BP) = 3,290.00
 
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San Francisco,CA - May 11th, 1849 - Gold Rush Document :2514 - San Francisco,CA - May 11th, 1849 - Gold Rush Document :
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Receipt for 1/2 ream of letter paper purchased by the W.A. Leidesdorff Estate from Sherman & Ruckel, early gold rush merchants. Richard M. Sher...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 300.00 - 600.00
Sold to h*********d for (150.00 + 26.25BP) = 176.25
 
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San Francisco,CA - Oct. 31st, 1851 - Gold Rush Handwritten Letter “Scarcity of gold coins & USAO $502515 - San Francisco,CA - Oct. 31st, 1851 - Gold Rush Handwritten Letter “Scarcity of gold coins & USAO $50
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Important, handwritten, two page, 1851 Gold Rush letter discussing $50 Gold Coins. This letter from W. E. L. Foote on California Street in San Francis
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 2,500.00 - 4,000.00
Sold to 8***8 for (1,900.00 + 332.50BP) = 2,232.50
 
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San Francisco,CA - 9 April 1850 - Gold Rush Letter :2516 - San Francisco,CA - 9 April 1850 - Gold Rush Letter :
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From Harvey Chapman to his wife Caroline who is living in Ohio. On yellowing letter sheet with some holes at the folds. Written in black ink. An in
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 600.00 - 1,200.00
Sold to 8*****B for (700.00 + 122.50BP) = 822.50
 
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San Francisco,CA - 1913 - James King of William Sale Catalogue, Rare :2517 - San Francisco,CA - 1913 - James King of William Sale Catalogue, Rare :
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Fourteen pages. Lists “The Books, Letters, Papers, Pictures of James King, of Wm. To Be Sold at Auction in the Sutter Street Salesroom” by H. Taylor C
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 250.00 | Estimate : 500.00 - 1,000.00
 
 
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San Francisco,CA - 1850 through 1913 - James King of William Cover Collection :2518 - San Francisco,CA - 1850 through 1913 - James King of William Cover Collection :
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Four covers. Various sizes from large business size covers to letter size covers and various condition. 1. Notes of Month + year belonging to C. M.
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 250.00 | Estimate : 500.00 - 1,500.00
 
 
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San Francisco,CA - 1848 and 1854 - James King of William Documents, Receipts :2519 - San Francisco,CA - 1848 and 1854 - James King of William Documents, Receipts :
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Lot of two. 1) James King paid taxes to the of Georgetown for real estate taxes on 4 May 1848 in the amount of $2.87, signed by
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 150.00 | Estimate : 300.00 - 500.00
 
 
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San Francisco,CA - 1850 and 1851 - James King of William Lease Collection :2520 - San Francisco,CA - 1850 and 1851 - James King of William Lease Collection :
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Indenture – lease – on 9 March 1850 between John Marrow and William Newton Meeks and Atlantic W. Renshaw for a parcel of land at the corners of Union
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 500.00 - 1,000.00
Sold to 8***8 for (300.00 + 52.50BP) = 352.50
 
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San Francisco,CA - 1854 - James King of William Letter with Cover :2521 - San Francisco,CA - 1854 - James King of William Letter with Cover :
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Letter to James King of William signed by E. Riggs from Washington 19 January 1854 regarding giving Judge M. Blair a letter of credit when he comes to
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 500.00 - 1,000.00
Sold to R*****n for (325.00 + 56.88BP) = 381.88
 
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San Francisco,CA - 1855 - James King of William Notice of Attachment :2522 - San Francisco,CA - 1855 - James King of William Notice of Attachment :
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Thomas Carew (or Carey) vs. L. Mowry, to James King of William. The Constable of the first township issued the Notice of Attachment out of the Justic
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 150.00 | Estimate : 300.00 - 500.00
 
 
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San Francisco,CA - 1848 - James King of William, Inventory List :2523 - San Francisco,CA - 1848 - James King of William, Inventory List :
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To James King of William from Myers and Bros., purchases and payments from 8 March 1848 to 8 May 1848. Some of the items purchased were metal buttons,
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 1,000.00 - 2,000.00
Sold to 8***8 for (500.00 + 87.50BP) = 587.50
 
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San Francisco,CA - 1 February 1850 - James King of William, Lease [Indenture] signed :2524 - San Francisco,CA - 1 February 1850 - James King of William, Lease [Indenture] signed :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
John Morrow and William Newton Meeks lease a room to King in a building at 276 Montgomery Street for a period of one year. The rent was $550.00 a mon
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 1,000.00 | Estimate : 2,000.00 - 4,000.00
 
 
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San Francisco,CA - 1858 - James King of William, Thomas King Receipt :2525 - San Francisco,CA - 1858 - James King of William, Thomas King Receipt :
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On blue paper cut in half. Received one note from Thomas J. King for a note against J. Henley dated 2 May 1850, $8,000.00 with interest of $640.00, s
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 200.00 - 400.00
Sold to 8***8 for (100.00 + 17.50BP) = 117.50
 
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San Francisco,CA - c1900s - Jewelers Scale :2526 - San Francisco,CA - c1900s - Jewelers Scale :
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Fancy custom mahogany case. Very good condition and quality with all weights, balance and pans in tact. 15cm x 7cm rectangular.
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 600.00 - 900.00
Sold to 9***1 for (300.00 + 52.50BP) = 352.50
 
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San Francisco,CA - c1849-1850 - Miners Bank and Savings Surveying Notes :2527 - San Francisco,CA - c1849-1850 - Miners Bank and Savings Surveying Notes :
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1). Unissued for 25 cents in gold dust. Alta, CA. Vignette of sailing 5 masted ship. This is an outstanding bright, sharply printed example, with a s
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 2,500.00 - 4,000.00
Sold to R*****n for (2,100.00 + 367.50BP) = 2,467.50
 
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San Francisco,CA - 1849 - Miners Bank of Savings of Alta California 25 Cent Note :2528 - San Francisco,CA - 1849 - Miners Bank of Savings of Alta California 25 Cent Note :
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This is an outstanding bright, sharply printed example, with a small cutout in the signature plate. This is the most common of all the fractional seri
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 1,200.00 - 1,500.00
Sold to 9***2 for (1,200.00 + 210.00BP) = 1,410.00
 
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San Francisco,CA - c1855 - Miners Bullion Scale - Christopher Becker & Becker Co. :2529 - San Francisco,CA - c1855 - Miners Bullion Scale - Christopher Becker & Becker Co. :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Although Ernest Child in his Tools of the Chemist relates that Christopher Becker was the pioneer American balance maker, it may be more correct to st
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 7,500.00 - 12,500.00
Sold to 9***2 for (7,500.00 + 1,312.50BP) = 8,812.50
 
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San Francisco,CA - c1850s - Miners Bullion Scale - Henry Troemner Co. :2530 - San Francisco,CA - c1850s - Miners Bullion Scale - Henry Troemner Co. :
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"The Troemner family is an old ancestral line of Germany. . . . It is thought that Henry, together with his brother John, arrived in Port of Ne...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 3,000.00 - 6,000.00
Sold to s*****b for (6,000.00 + 1,050.00BP) = 7,050.00
 
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