Auctions | June 8, 2011

Mining, Minerals and Mayhem at Auction in Reno

Holabird-Kagin Americana is gearing up for another massive sale of rare and collectible Western Americana, Numismatica and Historical Ephemera. The Reno, Nevada based business realized approximately $1 million for their March “Golden West” Auction held in Sacramento, where the world-famous “Washington Gold Nugget” brought $400,000 on the auction floor, and garnered international press coverage.

Now Holabird-Kagin Americana is proud to present “Mining, Minerals and Mayhem” a three day auction scheduled for June 28, 29, 30 at the Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa in Reno.  Over 2,300 lots will hit the auction block and the sale will feature several rare and collectible precious metal ingots, an unparalleled mineral specimen collection, an original George Hearst signed stock certificate, and one of the most comprehensive Bodie Collections ever compiled (over 140 lots, including an original constable badge). In addition to an impressive numismatic section, there are hundreds of western mining stock certificates, including a large Bullfrog and Death Valley section and a expansive Colorado section of Clear Creek, Cripple Creek, and Leadville, plus many more, along with an eclectic mix of mining ephemera, to name just a few highlights.
 
Also included in the sale will be an original circa 1870s bullion punch from the Carson City Mint and a Bryan money collection featuring political and money ephemera from 1896, one of the most contested periods in American monetary history. Some of the highly sought after ingots up for grabs are the Tri-Bullion Mining Co .5 oz Gold Pendant, the William Sharon 1876 Silver Dinner Ingot, the Ophir and Savage Silver Ingots, the Riehn Hemme Silver Watch Fob Ingot and the Harvey Harris Silver & Gold Presentation Assay Ingot, all spectacular examples of the resplendence of the great Western mining booms, the resultant explosion of the banking and financial industry, and the millionaires and tycoons that made history.
 
Offered for sale for the first time is the Gottschalk Western Ore Specimen Collection, consisting of approximately 275 lots, more than 2,500 pieces of some of the rarest and most spectacular ore specimens, ore minerals and rare ore mineral species from around the world, with an emphasis on the Comstock Lode (with over 700 Bonanza grade ore specimens) and also a vast selection from Bodie, Goldfield, Tonopah, Colorado and Montana. Collectors will also find a plethora of rare bottles such as the cobalt blue Owl poison bottle collection and soda bottles from Nevada and Arizona.

The auction is expected to gross well over $1 million and promises the same excitement that has become a hallmark of the company’s recent sales.  The auction is free and open to the public, so it’s a great chance to catch up on your mining history and maybe even own some. For more information or to obtain a catalog, call Holabird-Kagin Americana at 877-852-8822.