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.
Choose Your Layout > Switch to Grid View Switch to List View
Atlanta,CA - San Joaquin County - No Date - Murphy, W. J.  Business Card :3147 - Atlanta,CA - San Joaquin County - No Date - Murphy, W. J. Business Card :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
W.J. Murphy was a dealer in wines, liquors, groceries, provisions, dry goods and clothing--boots and Shoes, Tinware and Hardware. "All Goods G...
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 75.00 | Estimate : 150.00 - 300.00
 
 
Details...Bookmark
Auburn,CA - Placer County - September 20, 1860 - Hall & Allen Banking Office Letter :3148 - Auburn,CA - Placer County - September 20, 1860 - Hall & Allen Banking Office Letter :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Written on the letterhead of Hall & Allen, the letter is addressed to Mssrs. Hardy & Kennedy regarding an enclosed check on the account of W...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 150.00 - 250.00
Sold to 8***8 for (75.00 + 13.13BP) = 88.13
 
Details...Bookmark
Auburn,CA - Placer County - April 5, 1881 - Pemberton Hydraulic Gold Mining Company Stock :3149 - Auburn,CA - Placer County - April 5, 1881 - Pemberton Hydraulic Gold Mining Company Stock :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Forest Hill District. Incorporated February 21st, 1879. Cert. #362, issued to S.B. Clark, Trustee in 1881 for 100 shares. Signed by J.R. Crandall, Pre
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 100.00 | Estimate : 200.00 - 400.00
 
 
Details...Bookmark
Avalon,CA - Los Angeles County - August 20, 1894 - Avalon Photograph :3150 - Avalon,CA - Los Angeles County - August 20, 1894 - Avalon Photograph :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
This 8" by 6 1/4" gold mounted photo is by an unknown photographer. With the mounting, the photo measures 10" by 8." All four c...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 75.00 - 120.00
Sold to 8***8 for (38.00 + 6.65BP) = 44.65
 
Details...Bookmark
Bijou,CA - El Dorado County - c1900 - Lake Tahoe Snapshot :3151 - Bijou,CA - El Dorado County - c1900 - Lake Tahoe Snapshot :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Captioned Mt. Tallac and Pyramid Peak, taken from pond on Lakeside Park, Lake Tahoe, Cal. Photographer is A.M. Hill of Bijou, CA. Photo measure 4 x 5”
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 75.00 - 100.00
Sold to 9***3 for (38.00 + 6.65BP) = 44.65
 
Details...Bookmark
Blythe,CA - Riverside County - Blythe Meat Company Token :3152 - Blythe,CA - Riverside County - Blythe Meat Company Token :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Token from the Blythe Meat Company in Blythe, California. The Token measures 1" in diameter and was good for 25 cents in trade. It is gray in c...
Bidding Has Concluded
 
Sold to c****y for (10.00 + 1.75BP) = 11.75
 
Details...Bookmark
Blythe,CA - Riverside County - 1940s-1950s - Southern and Central California Desert Real Photo Post3153 - Blythe,CA - Riverside County - 1940s-1950s - Southern and Central California Desert Real Photo Post
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Lot of eight from various counties. Included are: Female branch of San Quintin Prison, Tehachapi (Kern Co.); Blythe city street (Riverside); Pin
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 50.00 | Estimate : 100.00 - 200.00
 
 
Details...Bookmark
Bodie,CA - Mono County - 1870s-1890s - Bodie Document Group :3154 - Bodie,CA - Mono County - 1870s-1890s - Bodie Document Group :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Lot of four pieces, which include: A Bodie Bank check dated 1879, for $10; Bodie I.O.O.F. Receipt dated 1895 and signed by Treasurer Harvey Boom; Bodi
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 100.00 | Estimate : 200.00 - 300.00
 
 
Details...Bookmark
Bodie,CA - Mono County - September 24 1878 - Sigourney Gold and Silver Mining Company Stock Certific3156 - Bodie,CA - Mono County - September 24 1878 - Sigourney Gold and Silver Mining Company Stock Certific
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Certificate No. 106 issued for 50 shares of capital stock on September 24, 1878. Each share was valued at $100 each. Incorporated under the laws of
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 180.00 - 240.00
Sold to 9***1 for (90.00 + 15.75BP) = 105.75
 
Details...Bookmark
Butte County,CA - c1905 - Sierra Nevada Flume Photograph :3157 - Butte County,CA - c1905 - Sierra Nevada Flume Photograph :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Flume in the Sierra Nevada. A typical flume construction found at the turn of the 20th century. Cedar trees in the background. Photograph measures
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 38.00 | Estimate : 75.00 - 100.00
 
 
Details...Bookmark
Carson Hill,CA - Calaveras County - March 4, 1899 - Melones Mining Company Stock Certificate :3158 - Carson Hill,CA - Calaveras County - March 4, 1899 - Melones Mining Company Stock Certificate :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Incorporated in West Virginia. Cert. #790, issued to E. Samuel Jacobs in 1899 for 100 shares. Signed by J.C. Whitney, treasurer, and James Parker as p
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 25.00 | Estimate : 50.00 - 100.00
 
 
Details...Bookmark
Carson Hill,CA - Calaveras - 1899 - Melones Mining Company Stock Certificate :3159 - Carson Hill,CA - Calaveras - 1899 - Melones Mining Company Stock Certificate :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Carson Hill. Calaveras County. Incorporated under the laws of the State of West Virginia. Issued to E. Samuel Jacobs on March 4, 1899. Dateline Boston
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 50.00 - 100.00
Sold to C********y for (25.00 + 4.38BP) = 29.38
 
Details...Bookmark
Chico,CA - Butte County - c1908 - Iron Brew Saloon Photograph :3160 - Chico,CA - Butte County - c1908 - Iron Brew Saloon Photograph :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Decorative saloon interior. Wooden bar front. A bartender stands behind the bar next to a young boy with an open whiskey bottle in from of them, and
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 50.00 - 100.00
Sold to t********n.. for (110.00 + 19.25BP) = 129.25
 
Details...Bookmark
Chico,CA - Butte County - April 25, 1864 - Nourse, George F. Signed Receipt :3161 - Chico,CA - Butte County - April 25, 1864 - Nourse, George F. Signed Receipt :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Lot of two items: 1) “Forwarding and Commission house of Geo. F. Nourse” letterhead, datelined Chico Landing and signed by Geo. F. Nourse, one of the
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 100.00 - 200.00
Sold to 8***8 for (50.00 + 8.75BP) = 58.75
 
Details...Bookmark
Coalinga,CA - Fresno - 1983 - Selected Field Trips… Publication :3162 - Coalinga,CA - Fresno - 1983 - Selected Field Trips… Publication :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
By Fowkes, E.J., 1983. Softcovered, 98 pages with many black and white photographs, illustrations, maps, and tables. NAGT Guidebook, Far West Section
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 10.00 | Estimate : 20.00 - 40.00
 
 
Details...Bookmark
Columbia,CA - Tuolumne County - August 1852 - Tuolumne County Water Company Receipts :3163 - Columbia,CA - Tuolumne County - August 1852 - Tuolumne County Water Company Receipts :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Lot of two receipts, printed on light blue paper, measuring 3 x 5." Each is made out to Webb and signed by Collector Bowen. With the discovery...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 100.00 - 300.00
Sold to 9***1 for (55.00 + 9.63BP) = 64.63
 
Details...Bookmark
Copperopolis,CA - Feb. 7, 1864 - California Gold Mining Letter :3164 - Copperopolis,CA - Feb. 7, 1864 - California Gold Mining Letter :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Handwritten on folded sheet. Script tight and legible. Discusses the broken down equipment of the Keystone Co. Mentions that the "crushing appa...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 150.00 - 300.00
Sold to 8***8 for (75.00 + 13.13BP) = 88.13
 
Details...Bookmark
Daggett,CA - San Bernardino County - 1965 - Idol of the West: The Fabulous Career of Rollin Mallory3165 - Daggett,CA - San Bernardino County - 1965 - Idol of the West: The Fabulous Career of Rollin Mallory
Holabird-Kagin Americana
By Francis Phelps Weisenburger, Syracuse University Press. Paher #2119. Photos, 220 pages with Index and Bibliography. Tears in front of dust jacket
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 50.00 | Estimate : 100.00 - 150.00
 
 
Details...Bookmark
Death Valley,CA - Inyo County - Death Valley Books :3166 - Death Valley,CA - Inyo County - Death Valley Books :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Lot of four Books includes: 1) An Unnatural History of Death Valley (with reflections on the valley’s varmints, virgins, vandals and visionaries), By
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 125.00 | Estimate : 250.00 - 400.00
 
 
Details...Bookmark
Death Valley,CA - Inyo County - Boy Scouts in Death Valley, Publication :3167 - Death Valley,CA - Inyo County - Boy Scouts in Death Valley, Publication :
Holabird-Kagin Americana
Subtitle: The City in the Sky, by Ralphson, G. Harvey. Hardcover, 256 pages. Published by M.A. Donohue & Company, 1914.
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 25.00 | Estimate : 50.00 - 75.00
 
 
Details...Bookmark