Holabird's Online Spring Into Americana Auction, May 13-14, has Over 1,400 Lots Starting at Just $10

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An American Express Company stock certificate from 1861 signed by Henry Wells and William G. Fargo (two of the three founders of American Express and the founders of Wells Fargo & Company) is an expected highlight in a special two-day timed auction event titled “Spring into Americana” slated for May 13th & 14th by Holabird Western Americana Collections. 

The auction, starting at 8 am Pacific time both days, will be hosted exclusively on iCollector.com (Holabird’s preferred auction platform). Offered will be more than 1,400 lots in a wide array of collecting categories, including mining, bottles, numismatics, stocks, philatelic, art and general Americana. The majority of items have never been offered, and every lot starts at just 10 dollars. 

“The ‘Spring into Americana’ auction is a mix of old and new, with many lower priced and entry level lots and larger groups ideal for dealers,” said Fred Holabird, the owner of Holabird Western Americana Collections. “Featured are Ken Prag postcards and stocks; Gary Bracken medicine bottles and stamps; coins, medals and tokens; billhead and check collections; and much more.” 

Mr. Holabird added, “Starting each lot at ten dollars doesn’t mean the collectibles are cheap, common or unwanted. What it does represent is a following of the worldwide numismatic market and of letting the bidder and the collector set the prices. If the lots start cheap, then all it takes is your bid. We have thousands of collectors and we hope they all will find things to their liking.” 

The American Express Company stock certificate signed by Messrs. Wells and Fargo is a Day 2 highlight lot, with an estimate of $500-$1,000. It’s very early – No. 728, issued for five shares to William A. Elton of New York in 1861 – and is signed by Henry Wells as president and William G. Fargo as secretary. It’s not cancelled, and has a nice locomotive and telegraph pole vignette. 

Day 1, on Saturday, May 13th, will contain 697 lots of art, general Americana (to include geographic sort and miscellaneous categories, including newspapers, militaria, sports, and miscellaneous ephemera and hard goods); and philatelic (including postcards, covers, stamps). 

A choice Tahoe Tavern sterling silver souvenir spoon with a fish handle and engraved bowl (“Tahoe Tavern” and Lake Tahoe, Calif.”), plus a vignette of the tavern building in the woods, has an estimate of $150-$300. The spoon is believed to have been based on a Harold Parker photo and sold in the Tahoe Tavern gift shop circa 1906-1910. The reverse is marked sterling. 

Also sold on Day 1 will be an 1870 U.S. stamp A52 with fancy cancel (est. $100-$300); a group of six cowgirl postcards, four of them RPCs (Real Photo Cards) and two are printed, circa 1907-1915, from the Stuart Mackenzie collection (est. $60-$100); and a group of Mexican Hidalgo 1872 issues, stock sheets with 28 stamps (est. $100-$200), from the Gary Bracken collection. 

Day 2, on Sunday, May 14th, will be packed with 715 lots of Native Americana, cowboy collectibles, transportation (air, automobile, railroad), mining, stocks and bonds (mining, railroad, miscellaneous), bottles, and numismatics (currency/scrip, coins, medals and tokens). 

In addition to the American Express Company stock certificate, other rare antique stock certificates will also come up for bid. A few examples are as follows: 

- A Tuolumme County Water Company stock No. 618, issued to James Mills for one share on April 24, 1854, with a fantastic Gold Rush sluicing vignette. A notation on the back says to transfer the stock to Edgar Mills, signed by D.O. Mills, one of the co-founders of the Bank of California and part owner of Virginia & Truckee Railroad (est. $200-$500).

- A Ruby Bell Gold and Silver stock from 1889, signed by Seth Bullock, a Canadian American frontiersman, business proprietor, politician, sheriff and U.S. Marshal. He was a prominent citizen in Deadwood, South Dakota, where he lived from 1876 until his death, operating a hardware store and a large hotel, the Bullock Hotel (est. $70-$200).

- A Manhattan Silver Pick Gold Mining Company (Arizona) stock certificate, No. 139, issued for 5,000 shares to “Wilson” in 1907 and datelined Manhattan, Nevada. The certificate is signed by the president and secretary. It has a blue and silver border with a silver mining pick underprint vignette. Graded 63 Choice Uncirculated (est. $100-$150). 

A Michael Boyett pewter sculpture titled Sioux War Cry, from the Chilmark Legacy of Courage Collection honoring the American Indian, 4 ½ inches tall on a wooden base, numbered #910 of 2,500 and with a COA from the sculptor, should bring $90-$150. Also, a rare Belcher Silver Mining Company (Gold Hill, Nevada) revenue check #1315, drawn on the Virginia (City), Nevada Bank of California, issued to F. Sharbach for $24, signed by P. Ennis (est. $50-$100). 

One lot of two amber drug bottles from Leadville, Colorado (The Davis Drug Company and The Rexall Store), circa 1900, both bottles clean with no chips, has a pre-sale estimate of $200-$400; while a group of four McPherson (Kansas) medicine bottles, including a black embossed C H Hubbell bottle, a Bixby & Lindsay bottle and an Anabil-Almen bottle, should garner $50-$100. 

A collection of 12 large U.S. cents, ranging from 1802-1852 and five with unreadable dates, in poor to very good condition, the 1824 cent having a hole, is expected to sell for $100-$200. Also, a rare token from Plumas County, Calif. (“Grand Central Bar / Quincy / Calif. // Good For / 10 C. / In Trade”), plus two silver 5-peso Mexican coins dated 1948, should command $60-$100. 

An 1894 Prussian five marks silver coin with a hat carved onto the king’s head – a coin art hobo nickel featuring Wilhelm II wearing a top hat – is estimated to change hands for $60-$100. Also, an 1892 Columbian Exposition commemorative half dollar love token with the reverse engraved, “J. M. Bellew / Milpitas, Cal. / Nov. 11-18, holed, is expected to find a new owner for $50-$100.

This is a timed auction, so there will be no live auctioneer or audio/video feed. Folks can bid now, up to the day each session closes. On the 13th and 14th, they will be able to log in to a virtual console and bid live, per normal. Each lot will open with an automatic timer that’s reset with each live bid. Once the bidding stops and the timer runs out, the next lot is presented. 

Telephone and absentee bids will be accepted. Color catalogs are available by calling 1-844-492-2766, or 775-851-1859. To learn more about Holabird Western Americana Collections, and the two-day, online-only “Spring into Americana” auction on May 13th and 14th, at 8 am Pacific time both days, please visit www.holabirdamericana.com.

About Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC:

Anyone owning a collection that might fit into a Holabird Western Americana Collections auction is encouraged to get in touch. The firm travels throughout the U.S., to see and pick up collections. The company has agents all over America and will travel. Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC is always seeking new and major collections to bring to market. It prides itself as being a major source for selling Americana at the best prices obtainable, having sold more than any other similar company in the past decade alone. The firm will have its entire sales database online soon, at no cost – nearly 200,000 lots sold since 2014. To consign a single piece or a collection, you may call Fred Holabird at 775-851-1859 or 844-492-2766; or, you can send an e-mail to fredholabird@gmail.com. To learn more about Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC, please visit www.holabirdamericana.com.