RENO, Nevada – A 288-pound iron-nickel meteorite found in China in 1958 that is thought to have fallen to Earth in 1516 AD sold for $4,125 at a four-day Minerals Galore & Western auction Americana held June 2-5 by Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC, online and live in the Reno Gallery. Hundreds of collectibles have been bid on across an array of collectible categories.
All prices in this report include the buyer’s premium.
Day 1, June 2, was notable as the bargains and reseller bundles – which had been offered on the last day of Holabird’s multi-day sales in the past – proved so popular that they officially launched this event, with 155 prizes offered. Other categories included militaria (Civil War, World War I and II, etc.), guns, weapons, general Americana, toys, collectibles, art, and Native Americans.
A Dahlgren Navy Model 1863 bayonet with scabbard, complete with scabbard and frog, one of only 1,800 made, changed hands for $1,875. The knife was designed by Admiral John Dahlgren of the USS Plymouth and was originally manufactured by Ames Mfg. Co. (Chicopee, Mass.) for the Plymouth/Whitneyville Model 1861 Musket for the US Navy. The walnut grip was nicely framed in brass.
An exceptional group of tin cans illustrated with paper labels – 53 in all, many of which appear to pre-date 1900 – sold for $1,187. Some of the best came from California, including three Mount Hamilton brand 4-inch cans with spectacular color labels showing the Mount Hamilton Observatory and Telescope; and a 4-inch California Fruits box featuring California’s iconic golden bear graphic.
Day 2, Friday, June 3, featured entertainment industry (autographs, music, etc.), sports, Black Americana, cowboys, fraternal organizations, gaming, model railroading, politics , tobacco, saloon, beer and alcohol, bottles and marbles, tools, world fairs, jewelry and watches, philatelic (postcards, revenue stamps, stamps, postal history) and photography – a total of 565 lots in all.
A stamp album containing a wonderful collection of American commemoratives dating from 1900 to 1975, with all stamps presented in black crystal protectorates and all appearing to be in mint condition, finished at $3,750. Additionally, a large collection of pipes – about 40 in all, including six meerschaum and several briars – fetched $1,062. Manufacturers came from England, France, Turkey and Vienna. Included was a copy of the second edition of The Blowjob Bookby Alfred Dunhill.
From the Ken Prag Collection, a collection of over 700 vintage postcards of Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada, including stagecoaches arriving in the valley and views from Camp Curry, Glacier Point and the Wawona Tunnel, has reached $1,187; while a batch of 60 postcards from Hong Kong, China, c. brought in $875.
Day 3, Saturday, June 4, furniture and decoration, minerals (including display minerals), fossils and gold and ore), mining lots (ephemera and equipment), numismatics, including badges, bars, coins, currency, ephemera, exonumia (numismatic items other than coins and paper money, such as tokens, medals or certificates), foreigners and medals; and tokens.
The meteorite was a day 3 batch and came from the Chunlin Zhu collection. Items from this same collection included a large amethyst cave geode with dark purple crystals – a real sight, 15 inches by 18 inches by 11 inches ($1,375); and a Chinese Viewing Stone – a beautifully intricate beige colored flow stone from a cave, 17 inches high, on a stand ($1,875).
A small 17-inch Pelton wheel with nine cups, likely from Nevada City, Calif., with some degree of damage, fetched $1,250. And let’s talk good deals! A group of three Alaska medals (Seward Cornerstone of an Empire; 1967 Centennial of the Alaska Purchase; and Alaska the 49th state) went to a happy bidder for only $12; while five coins from India, all in above average condition, including an 1840 rupee, a 1935 half anna, and a 1936-B quarter anna, fetched $18.
Day 4, Sunday June 5, included books, maps, stocks and bonds (including mines and railroads) and transportation (including stagecoaches, ships and railroads) – a total of 570 lots.
A Wells Fargo Company (Omaha, Neb.) stock certificate #647 for 100 shares, issued in 1870 to Henry Wells, one of the co-founders of American Express in 1850, was for $2,875. This stock certificate, one of five possibly known, is undoubtedly one of the most important of all Wells Fargo and American Express documents, as it depicts the takeover of Wells Fargo by Californian financier Lloyd Tevis after reaching a behind-the-scenes deal with Wells. and Fargo.
Also sold on Day 4 was a copy of the 1884 book Memories of mining life by Henry DeGroot, 16 pages in near-mint condition, with full-page illustrations, a classic book cited in almost every Gold Rush bibliography ($1,000); and a collection of mostly softcover recreational books from Montana, including 3 Montana Big Game Animals, Bed and Breakfast Home of Montana and The Climbers Guide to Montanawhich sold for the bargain price of $12.
Online auctions were provided by iCollector.com, LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Auctionzip.com. The full catalog was available for viewing at www.holabirdamericana.com. Color catalogs were also available to anyone who called 1-844-492-2766 or 775-851-1859.
Anyone with a collection that could enter a Holabird Western Americana Collections auction is encouraged to contact us. The company travels extensively across the United States to view and collect collections. Holabird has many agents and will travel to inspect most collections.
Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC is always looking for new and important collections to bring to market. It prides itself on being a major source of selling Americana at the best prices available, having outsold any other similar company in the last decade alone. The company will soon have its entire sales database online, free of charge – nearly 200,000 lots sold since 2014.
To consign a unique piece or collection, you can call Fred Holabird at 775-851-1859 or 844-492-2766; or, you can email fredholabird@gmail.com. To learn more about Holabird Western Americana Collections, visit www.holabirdamericana.com. Updates are released often.
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