RENO, NEV.- Fresh off a successful three-day Desert Riches Auction held live and online from January 31st thru February 3rd, Holabird Western Americana Collections will follow that up with a three-day Pioneers & Patriots Auction beginning March 1st and ending March 3rd. The first two days will be online and live in the Reno, Nevada gallery; March 3rd will be a timed-only session.
Start times all three days will be 8am Pacific time. Around 1,700 lots will come up for bid across the three days, in collecting categories that include Americana, militaria, mining, numismatics, Wild West, philatelic and more. Bids can be placed in-person (March 1-2), online (via the three platforms iCollector.com, LiveAuctioneers.com and Invaluable.com), or by phone with an agent.
$1,000 Federal Reserve Note from 1934, printed in San Francisco with a green seal, with a Grover Cleveland vignette, one of 90,600 printed, in VF-EF condition (est. $2,000-$4,000).
“We chose the name ‘Pioneers & Patriots’ to honor notable Western figures such as lawmen, outlaws, generals and presidents, as well as military figures from conflicts such as the Civil War, World Wars I and II, the Mexican Revolution and the French Revolution,” said Fred Holabird, president and owner of Holabird Western Americana Collections. “We expect a great auction.”
Day 1, on Saturday, March 1st, contains over 500 lots dedicated to general Americana; minerals (including gold and turquoise) and mining; and stock certificates.
Rare 1876-CC (Carson City, Nevada Mint) U.S. Liberty Head $20 gold piece, graded F-VF condition, from a mintage of just 138,441 coins (est. $4,000-$6,000).
The minerals section on Day 1 has a Calaveras County gold ingot, a handful of California gold nugget lots, and even a stunning gold ring made by the ‘Nugget Ace’ collector who found so many of the gold specimens Holabird has sold recently. There is also a large batch of Nevada turquoise, split into lots based on color, size and quality.
Copy of the book My Camera in the National Parks (1950) by renowned photographer Ansel Adams, signed by Adams on the inside front flyleaf, 30 photos with text (est. $1,500-$2,000).
The mining category has important references to mining; rare Nevada documents (including lot 1400, a letter about silver bars stolen from an Austin, Nevada stagecoach; and lot 1418, a rare Comstock autograph). Also offered will be ephemera from California, Colorado and Montana.
The general Americana on Day 1 will feature a diverse selection, to include rare sports Hall of Famer autographs; an 1860 world globe (lot 1044); rare references, maps, photos and documents; a 1914 National Cash register (lot 1112); rare early Ohio ephemera; a large selection of cameras; a Mills Bell-O-Matic slot machine (lot 1217); vintage toys; and more.
Combination Gold & Silver Mining Company (Inyo County, Calif.) stock certificate No., 397, issued on June 26, 1862 to B.F. Whiten for 40s shares, signed by officers (est. $2,000-$4,000).
The sale features hundreds of lots of stock certificates and bonds from the Ken Prag collection. Categories include mining, railroad, Express, petroliana and more. Expected top lots include a choice early 1862 Inyo County mining stock (lot 1470); and rare autograph certificates, to include Otto Mears, Founding Father Robert Morris, Wells and Fargo, and William Sharon.
Day 2, on Sunday, March 2nd, will feature 478 lots of philatelic (featuring Art Nouveau); art (featuring Ansel Adams and Salvador Dali); Native Americana; cowboy and Wild West (featuring Custer and outlaws); political (US and foreign, to include Pancho Villa); militaria and weaponry (highlighted by the Civil War); and numismatics.
Cancelled check from 1903 written by Winfield Scott Edgerly of the 7th Cavalry, a 1st Lieutenant who fought at the Battle or Little Big Horn in 1890alongside Gen. Custer (est. $1,000-$3,000).
Day 2 has a choice group of rare documents and newspapers related to some of the most famous (and notorious) Western figures, including Buffalo Bill, Frank James, George Armstrong Custer, Butch Cassidy, Bill Dalton and Pat Garret. Lot 2217 is an 1881 edition of the Tombstone Daily Nugget that covers the details of the gunfight at the OK Corral.
Also on Day 2, the large militaria section contains rare Civil War collectibles; Mexican Revolution and Pancho Villa items; and choice French Revolution and political documents. There are also great political autographs (including Founding Fathers, Vice Presidents, First Ladies and military leaders such as Santa Anna); a large selection of rare knives; and a few antique firearms.
Lorino’s (Boston) terrestrial globe with stand from 1860, the globe 12 inches in diameter, the stand 41 inches tall, original hand-painted cast iron in gold and green tones (est. $5,000-$7,500).
Highlights of the Day 2 numismatics section include Carson City Mint Morgan silver dollars; an 1876 CC (Carson City) $20 Liberty gold coin (lot 2453); a $1,000 1934 Federal Reserve Note, San Francisco (lot 2470); plus medals and gold coins. The philatelic category features a large offering of beautiful Art Nouveau postcards and foreign postage stamps.
The art and Native Americana categories will include special pieces, such as Salvador Dali prints (lots 2117-2121); a rare, signed Ansel Adams book (lot 2115); an exquisite Quezal glass table lamp (lot 2156); spectacular Western bronzes; Native Jewelry; wooden decoys; and more.
Circa 1950 three-reel Mills Bell-O-Matic slot machine with bright red metal case and wooden sides, the “A-C-E” in clubs the jackpot, 26 inches tall, with two keys (est. $2,000-$4,000).
The final day of the auction, on Monday, March 3rd, will feature 702 lots of mining artifacts and ephemera; numismatics; general Americana; lower-priced stocks and bonds; and some turquoise. The session includes lower priced items, as well as “dealer” lots (large groups ideal for resale), from all the regular categories. And, to get the bidding action going, every lot starts at just $10.
Day 3 is a timed-only session, meaning there won’t be an audio/video feed with an auctioneer at a podium. Holabird officials will be monitoring the progress, but the auction is controlled by the computers and the bidders, with each lot opening for a short period that gets extended with live bids. “This is a format we implemented a few years ago, to great success,” Mr. Holabird said.
National Cash Register (Dayton, Ohio) 9-drawer register manufactured in 1914, in mint condition with exquisite design and durability, and original mechanisms (est. $10,0000-$15,000).
“Be sure to use the Keyword Search Tool on our website to search for items in your collecting categories across all sections,” advised Mr. Holabird, who added, “You can also search past sales, too. If you’ve never bid in one of our timed sales (that occur every couple of months), please reach out to us with any questions. We can also place absentee bids for you before the sessions starts.”
Telephone and absentee bids will be accepted. Color catalogs are available by calling 1-844-492-2766, or 775-851-1859. Anyone owning a collection that might fit into a Holabird Western Americana Collections auction is encouraged to get in touch. The company has agents all over America and will travel to inspect most worthy collections.
To consign a single piece or a collection, you may call Fred Holabird at 775-851-1859 or 844-492-2766; or, send an e-mail to fredholabird@gmail.com. Holabird Western Americana Collections is actively seeking quality consignments for its upcoming auctions, especially items in the following categories:
• Coins, ingots, currency, tokens, US Mint
• Minerals, gold nuggets, ore specimens
• Railroadiana (passes, lanterns, locks)
• Bottles and brewing, salon collectibles
• Mining artifacts and ephemera
• Rare documents (checks, billheads, stocks, maps)
• Native Americana
• Wild West outlaws and lawmen
• Firearms and militaria
To learn more about Holabird Western Americana Collections and the three-day Pioneers & Patriots Auction beginning March 1st and ending March 3rd, beginning at 8 am Pacific time each day, please visit
www.holabirdamericana.com.
