Auction Details
"A Celebration of Our Great Basin Native American Heritage"
Featuring the Moe Royels Great Basin Wigwam Collection plus two other important Native American Collections
The sale of the Moe And Mary Royels Wigwam Café Collection and the Great Basin Collection is a true celebration. The items within the collections reflect the very rich history we have here in this unique place we call the Great Basin.
Moe Royels was born in Montana in 1940. The family moved to Nevada when Moe was only three months old. He grew up in Wadsworth and Fernley and was in the Army from 1959-1961. Moe married Mary in 1964 and the pair opened the Dainty Cone in Fernley and immediately started displaying their Indian Artifact collection. As an exploration geologist during the 1970’s and early 1980’s the Dainty Cone was always a place to grab a hamburger and have fun looking at the artifacts. In 1984, the place was remodeled into the Wigwam Café. Along the way there were more remodels, finally ending up with massive display cases throughout the restaurant showing off the collection. Meanwhile, across the street, another parallel collection had developed over time which also went on public display, today known as the “Great Basin Collection.”
Moe was a fanatic fan of the Nevada desert communities. It seems everyone for about 100 miles around had been touched in some way by Moe. When he died in 2014, hundreds attended his memorial celebration, from Nixon to Fallon.
The Wigwam Collection is a fantastic array of Native American collectibles, art and artifacts. A number of the items (dresses) were made especially for Mary Royels and few for Moe generally by local Paiute friends. The collections include some fabulous Baby Baskets, beaded baskets, spectacular art depicting early man in the Great Basin by renowned artist William A. Moore, and stone artifacts. A large collection of moccasins is also a part of the collections. The stone projectile point collections are probably the largest offering of Great Basin points ever made, reflecting over fifty years of collecting.
Sixth generation Paiute basket weaver Norm Delorme has helped identify basket makers. Norm and I have also written several essays regarding the collections and cultural losses. We encourage you to read and digest them, creating thoughtful discussion, not only of cultures past, but cultures present. We also have a discussion of recent regulations regarding collection, especially NAGPRA. During the entire process of cataloging, we found a trade organization dedicated to preserving cultures and the ethics of collecting, ATADA, and we joined.
Two other important collections round out this large Native American offering: a wonderful collection of choice Native American art and a massive collection of vintage Native American post cards. In the latter category, we are only offering a part of the collection in this sale, with more to come in May and perhaps the following sale, date to be determined. (maybe July).
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS:
* A huge Mining section featuring another selection of rare mining stock certificates from the Ken Prag Collection plus mining artifacts, books, & other ephemera
*Numismatics: medals and so-called dollars from the Salvatore Falcone Collection, dies & other collectibles from the Northwest Territorial Mint, and US & foreign coinage.
*Bottles: California & Nevada sodas, Nevada medicines, rare Nevada whiskies, and more.
*General Americana feat. US directories, documents, photos, hard goods, and more with a focus on the Western States. Also non-mining stock certificates from the Prag Collection & ephemera from the Joe Elcano Nevada History Collection.
*Railroad, Auto. & Transportation Company stocks from the Prag Collection
*A Bargains & Dealer Specials section featuring larger groups ideal for resale and entry-level collectibles in many categories.
Auction Schedule
Day 1, March 7th, 2019 (Lots 1000-1534)
*Numismatics (1000-1285)
Books (1000-1006)
Checks (1007-1017)
Coins (1018-1046)
Dies (1048-1105)
Ephemera & Collectibles (1106-1115)
Medals (1116-1155)
So-Called Dollars (1156-1264)
Tokens (1265-1285)
*Bottles (1286-1451)
*Saloon (1452-1461)
*Cowboy (1462-1496)
*Firearms & Weaponry (1497-1523)
*Gaming (1524-1534)
Day 2, March 8th, 2019 (Lots 2000-2686)
*Bargains & Dealer Specials (2000-2113)
Ephemera & Collectibles (2000-2069)
Stock Certificates (2070-2113)
*General Americana (2114-2664)
Advertising & Apparel (2214-2129)
Art (2130-2141)
Books & Directories (2142-2195)
Calendars (2196-2204)
Entertainment Industry (2205-2216)
Ephemera & Collectibles (2217-2499)
Gold Rush (2500-2507)
Political (2512-2522)
Military (2523-2546)
Postal History (2547-2555)
Wells Fargo & Express (2556-2570
Silverware/Flatware/Spoons (2575-2586)
Non-Mining Stock Certificates (2587- 2656)
Misc. incl. Toys, Worlds Fair (2657-2664)
*General Foreign (2665-2686)
Day 3, March 9th, 2019 (Lots 3000-3575)
*Art (3000-3052)
*Native Americana Part I (3053-3575)
Art (3053-3197)
Apparel (3198-3223)
Gloves (3224-3235)
Moccasins (3236-3279)
Accessories (3280-3304)
Jewelry & Trade Beads (3305-3361)
Artifacts (3362-3544)
Pipes (3545-3551)
Dies (3552-3554)
Baby Baskets (3555-3575)
Day 4, March 10th, 2019 (Lots 4000-4731)
*Native Americana Part II (4000-4301)
Pottery (4000-4011)
Baskets (4012-4140)
Dolls (4141-4155)
Books (4156-4170)
Ephemera & Collectibles (4171-4248)
Photographs (4249-4272)
Postcards (4273-4291)
Rugs/Weavings (4292-4301)
*Transportation (4302-4546)
*Railroad (4547-4731)
Day 5, March 11th, 2019 (Lots 5000-5592)
*Minerals (5000-5013)
*Mining (5014-5592)
Artifacts & Assay (5014-5035)
Books (5036-5049)
Ephemera & Collectibles (5050-5113)
Explosives (5114-5123)
Maps (5126-5140)
Mine Lighting (5141-5151)
Signs (5162-5167)
Spoons (5168-5180)
Mining Stocks (5181-5592)