DENVER, PA.- Over the weekend of December 6 and 7, Morphy Auctions’ spacious gallery in Lancaster County, Pa., is expected to be a hive of activity as collectors and holiday shoppers unite with a common goal in mind: to buy the best. The 1,420-lot auction contains exactly the type of merchandise that has become synonymous with the Morphy name: fresh to the market goods from prestigious, long-held collections.

Those who cannot attend won’t be left out in the cold, said Dan Morphy, founder and president of Morphy Auctions. “People all over the world follow our sales, and more are discovering us with each successive auction. To make sure no one is excluded, we offer customers every possible method for remote bidding – absentee, phone and live via the Internet,” said Morphy.

The auction will open with a selection of 19th-century photography, including daguerreotypes, tintypes and stereoscopic cards. There are also a number of ambrotypes, including Lot 38, which depicts a soldier holding a gun. Presented in a leather case and in excellent condition, it is estimated at $400-$800.

A remarkable and very rare 19th-century carved pinewood ship’s figurehead from Maine is entered as Lot 236. Measuring 57 inches long, the figurehead represents a Viking warrior in a “horned” helmet and cape.

“There are far fewer ship’s figureheads in existence than there are cigar store figures because the salt water and constant humidity while at sea took a toll on the wood,” said Morphy. “Almost all known ship’s figureheads are in maritime or other museum collections. It’s very unusual for an example to reach the open market.” The Viking figurehead is estimated at $15,000-$30,000.

Silver services, serving pieces and objets de vertu, plus valuable early coins also will be offered in the Dec. 6 session. Lot 240 is a large Draped Bust Cent dated 1797, with stems, MS60+. It is expected to make $5,000-$6,000.

Fine jewelry follows and will include watches, pearls, rings and necklaces designed with precious and semiprecious stones. Dozens of bronzes and carvings are slated for the auction block and exhibit a variety of media and genres, from classical to Art Deco.

Sunday’s session will open with a jaw-dropping array of 275 rare antique telephones from the Peter D’Acosta collection. The former Texas broadcast executive spent 25 years amassing his world-renowned collection, which includes 30 telephones believed to be sole survivors.

Every phone in D’Acosta’s collection has a special story, like Lot 801, a Western Electric No. 1 speaking tube desk telephone, which was Alexander Graham Bell’s first upright desktop model; and Lot 802, an American Bell No. 2 speaking tube desk set. Model No. 1, a Potbelly design, was probably introduced between 1893 and 1894. In fantastic original condition, it is one of the rarest telephones in the collection and is estimated at $20,000-$25,000. Model No. 2 was designed with an attractive swirl base. D’Acosta’s example is the earliest original American Bell desk stand known to exist in a private collection. It is the most valuable phone in the auction, estimated at $30,000-$40,000.

Other rarities in the D’Acosta collection include Lot 749, a 1903 Automatic Electric Company “Strowger” set, referring to Almon Brown Strowger’s innovative sunburst dial; and Lot 801, an 1897 Western Electric No. 9 Potbelly long distance desk phone. Each of the two phones is entered in the auction with an $8,000-$10,000 estimate. Yet another rarity is Lot 803, an 1897 N. 88-C “San Francisco Potbelly,” which was designed by California Electrical Works – a joint venture between Western Electric and Pacific Telephone. Of an unusual bronze-alloy construction in which the base and shaft are one piece, this phone could ring up a winning bid of $7,000-$9,000.

Lots 926 through 932, inclusive, are from a different consignor and are the perfect addition to the historical timeline covered by D’Acosta telephones. The seven additional lots are museum-quality experimental phones attributed to visionary tinkerer and inventor Daniel Drawbaugh (1827-1911), a Pennsylvanian who waged an eight-year battle against Bell Telephone Co., over the invention of the telephone. In 1888, the case was heard by the US Supreme Court, which found in Bell’s favor by a one-vote margin.

Art glass lamps by Handel, Pairpoint and Tiffany will illuminate the gallery during the Sunday session. A superior example is Lot 984, a Pairpoint Apple Blossom lamp with a Tree Trunk base. The shade is stamped “Pairpoint Corp,” while the base is signed. Its presale estimate is $16,000-$22,000. Another glass highlight is Lot 1078, a Loetz 7½-inch Phanomen vase, circa 1900, with iridescent gold and robin’s egg blue motif. Estimate: $4,500-$5,500.

An exciting selection of art pottery is led by Lot 1178, a rare 9-inch-tall R.W. Martin & Bros., stoneware Wally Bird tobacco jar. With its rare blue eyes and cheeky expression, this irresistible two-piece avian is likely to command an auction price of $30,000-$40,000. Within the pottery section is an extensive collection of Roseville that includes impressive jardinières on pedestals, window boxes, vases and other vessels in a variety of patterns and shapes, including Futura.

Morphy’s Dec. 6-7 auction will begin on both days at 9 a.m. Eastern Time. All forms of bidding will be available, including in person at the gallery, by phone, absentee or live via the Internet through Morphy Live, LiveAuctioneers or Proxibid.

Preview the entire auction inventory daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., or from 8-9 a.m. prior to auction sessions. Morphy Auctions is located at 2000 N. Reading Road in Denver, PA 17517.