SOLD
425.00USD+ (63.75) buyer's premium + applicable fees & taxes.
This item SOLD at 2017 Oct 21 @ 12:10UTC-7 : PDT/MST
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SHIPPING & HANDLING: Shipping and Handling cannot be estimated prior to invoicing, based on the size and weight of your purchase. All shipping is subject to a minimum charge of $19.00. If additional shipping and handling costs are required, the buyer will be reinvoiced for the balance due. Items are not shipped until the invoice is completely paid. Many buyers purchase a number of lots. Every effort will be made to include all lots in a single shipping charge calculated to cover the weight
Very rare assay sheet for the Assay Office of Leopold Kuh, located at Taylor Street, Corner of D Street. Kuh assay sheets are some of the rarer Comstock assay pieces. What makes this one even more special is that the deposit is from fellow Virginia City assayer Theall & Co. Why would an assayer be having a competitor handling his samples? This was called a "check sample." Very likely whomever Theall's original ore deposit was from (probably the Savage Mine), they wanted an outside check on his assay results. Theall was using Kuh to confirm his assaying. Four samples of crushed ore deposited April 15th, 1867. Signed at the bottom by Kuh. Folds. 10" x 7.5"
KUH BIO
Kuh was born in Hungary in 1817. He came to California during the Gold Rush and got his start at the San Francisco Mint about 1856. By 1859, he had his own gold refinery in partnership with Henry Fisher, which grew to a three person partnership the next year known as Kuh & Co.
Early shipments of Comstock ore were sent to San Francisco in the fall and winter of 1859 and into 1860. The ores were so rich that most mining men fled to the Comstock and created the “Rush to Washoe.” Kuh followed suit. He was hired by one of the Comstock mining companies in 1861, and went to work for the Central Mining Co. The Central's two claims were right next to the Ophir claim, along with the Kinney claim. These three claims later became known as the California Mine, which went on to be the largest producer on the Comstock, at $64.6 million through 1905. While there, Kuh learned and refined milling and metallurgical practices to extract the Comstock gold and silver ores.
In 1863, Kuh struck out on his own, opening an independent assay office and metallurgical consulting firm, and located his office located near the Ophir Mine’s office. Kuh kept an active office in Virginia City until 1869, when he returned to San Francisco, where he worked until he died in 1886.
THEALL BIO (excerpted from Fred Holabird)
Nevada Assayer Hiram W. Theall is yet another important New Yorker who came to California for the Gold Rush. Though not associated, he joined the list of John L. Moffat, Augustus Humbert and a line of others who were New York merchants that left New York for the land of gold. Theall’s voyage to California was completely different than the others. He came west as a member of Stevenson’s Regiment for the Mexican War (Co. D, First Regiment, New York Volunteers), arriving March 6, 1847. The company disbanded in the fall of 1848.
Theall was part of a fairly large New York family. Born about 1817 to 1824 (he continually changed his birth date in various public records), he ran his own brokerage business in New York City in the early 1840’s as “H.W. Theall & Co.” at 4 Wall Street. He was one of thirteen Thealls listed in Doggett’s 1842 New York City Directory. Interestingly, Elias L. Theall was a druggist, another of the occupations that led some to become assayers in the West.
Theall may have had old friends in Virginia City in the early years of the Comstock. William W. Thayer was there, who was a druggist in New York City at the same time one of Theall’s relatives was a druggist. Regardless of the various ties, Theall made a trip to the Comstock perhaps late in 1862 and liked what he saw. In 1863 he opened his first assay office in Nevada Territory. Watching how Harris opened offices in new mining camps such as Aurora, Theall then opened an office in Austin at the onset of the Reese River Rush, managed by his associate J. M. Dawley.
In the early days of the Comstock, to survive as an assayer, you had to have contracts with producing mines. Theall lived near the Savage Mining Company’s office, and he probably had a contract with them. The Savage was producing bullion at a high level, so they used a number of assayers, checking the work of each, as well as checking the work of the custom mills that processed the ores. Another important association was with the banking industry. Gold Rush assayers often acted as banks. They bought and sold gold, converted gold to coin, and in this manner acted to assist in paying bills. As the banking industry developed through time in the West, the association of bank and assayer became critical. Theall became associated with Comstock bankers Paxton & Thornburgh. They rode that partnership to Austin, where Paxton & Thornburgh quickly became the main bank, and was the main bank for the largest silver producing company, the Manhattan Silver Mining Company.
Theall’s Austin Assay Office had a succession of operators. Dawley was followed by John Ramdohr, then Eugene Riotte, then Soderling. In November, 1865, he sold the Austin office to Boalt & Stetefeldt.
As the 1860’s were coming to a close, mining was hitting hard times, and a general recession was well under way by late 1867. Theall sold his Virginia City office to W.C. Bousefield in February, 1868, the same month he sold the Marysville office. In an interesting business twist, he returned to his old, original business as a stock broker.
As Theall was settling into his brokerage business, another massive silver discovery was made in eastern Nevada. With it came the Rush to White Pine. Theall was tempted, and was off to Hamilton by late 1868. The White Pine Rush brought in 25,000 people by June 1869. Theall opened an assay office in Hamilton, the center of the region. Theall’s second son Julian was born in Hamilton in early 1869. Active in local politics, Theall was elected as a Hamilton School Trustee in April, 1869.
In May, 1869, at the height of the White Pine activity, Theall suddenly died.
City: Virginia City State: Nevada Date: HWAC# 50968
Auction Location:
3555 Airway Drive Suite 309, Reno, Nevada, 89511, United States
Previewing Details:
Preview will be at our Auction Location,
3555 Airway Drive Suite 309
Reno, NV 89511
on Wednesday, October 18th from 10:00 am to 5:00pm or by appointment.
Please call 775-851-1859
Nevada State Sales Tax
Taxes:
| Tax | Rate | Desc. |
| NSST |
8.265% |
Nevada Sales Tax |
Buyer's Premiums:
| From (Incl.) | To (Excl.) | Premium |
| 0.00 |
Infinite |
24% |
Additional Fees:
| Fee | Amount | Applicable Locations | Applied To |
| Handling |
5.00
|
Not Applicable
|
This fee applies to the total of the invoice
|
Shipping Details:
SHIPPING & HANDLING: Shipping and Handling cannot be estimated prior to invoicing, based on the size and weight of your purchase. All shipping is subject to a minimum charge of $19.00. If additional shipping and handling costs are required, the buyer will be reinvoiced for the balance due. Items are not shipped until the invoice is completely paid. Many buyers purchase a number of lots. Every effort will be made to include all lots in a single shipping charge calculated to cover the weight and size of the package(s). NOTE: Some shipments (of unusual size, dimension, or weight) may require special handling for which individual costs will be calculated and applied to the shipping charge on the invoice. The buyer is responsible for arranging and paying for shipment of large or special items. The customer is responsible for all shipping charges. Purchases will be shipped via our approved, insured carriers: Federal Express or the US Postal Service. All items shipped Federal Express or USPS will be insured for the full value determined at auction by HWAC, which is included in our buyer’s premium. Pick up is available from our Reno office the next business day after the auction.
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This is a Live Auction conducted by Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC (HWAC).
Terms and Conditions
1. The placing of a bid shall constitute the bidder’s acceptance of these terms of sale.
2. BUYER’S PREMIUM & INSURANCE: There will be a 21% Buyer’s Premium added to the sale (hammer) price of each lot, which includes a 1% fee for insurance that covers your purchase during transit. This is our base premium for transactions paid with cash, checks, money orders or wire transfers. All other forms of payment are not subject to the 3% discount and the Buyer’s Premium will be calculated at 24%. In order to expedite billing and convenience of payment, all initial invoicing will be calculated at 24%. Please call our office if paying by cash, check or money order and we will gladly recalculate the premium prior to payment.
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5. SHIPPING & HANDLING: Shipping and Handling will be estimated prior to invoicing, based on the size and weight of your purchase. All shipping is subject to a MINIMUM charge of $19.00 plus a required $5 handling charge. If additional shipping and handling costs are required, the buyer will be reinvoiced for the balance due. Items are not shipped until the invoice is completely paid. Many buyers purchase a number of lots. Every effort will be made to include all lots in a single shipping charge calculated to cover the weight and size of the package(s). NOTE: Some shipments (of unusual size, dimension, or weight) may require special handling for which individual costs will be calculated and applied to the shipping charge on the invoice. The buyer is responsible for arranging and paying for shipment of large or special items. The customer is responsible for all shipping charges. Purchases will be shipped via our approved, insured carriers: Federal Express or the US Postal Service. All items shipped Federal Express or USPS will be insured for the full value determined at auction by HWAC, which is included in our buyer’s premium. Pick up is available from our Reno office the next business day after the auction.
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9. INTERNET BIDDING: Both Absentee and Live Internet bidding are available through our live auction networks. If you wish to bid LIVE via the Internet, you MUST pre-register. A live feed is generally accessible during the auction for those bidding via the Internet. Online bidding remains open through the live auction, and online absentee bids may be placed anytime. Live bidding will open when the auction starts. Internet bidding is offered as a convenience for those who cannot attend the live sale. Please note that there may be delays or interruptions in Internet connectivity that are beyond our control. Attending the live auction or arranging for an agent is the most reliable way to secure your bids.
10. NEW BIDDERS: Bidders unknown to us, who anticipate an expenditure in excess of $20,000, must provide commercial references or a deposit of 25% of the amount to be bid in order for the auction staff to execute bids. Deposits will be credited towards lots won and any balance will be refunded within 10 business days after the auction has concluded. New bidders will be given a spending limit at their initial request to participate. In order to increase this limit, you may be required to provide a letter of authorization from your bank in addition to providing references. Please contact our office at any time if you have questions regarding spending limits or references required to bid.
11. AGENT BIDDING: There are numerous professional agents available to assist you should you require this service. Please contact the office for a list or to arrange for representation on the floor during the live auction. HWAC is not responsible for any acts or omissions by agents acting on behalf of bidders at our auctions.
BE ADVISED: Auction participation through the live Internet bidding site is not 100% foolproof. The technology for this process is always changing, and the operation of it and the corresponding Internet connectivity issues are far beyond our control. Some folks have attempted to use the live Internet bidding process as their primary method of bidding, and have been quite successful. Others have failed completely. Depending upon your computer, server, host, and other factors, Internet signals may be delayed, such that bids may not be received in time. We cannot be held responsible for these delays, or for the lack of placed bids in a timely manner, or any other factors leading to unaccepted bids that are far beyond our control. Bidders should always have a backup plan for lots they highly desire. Live participation is best, followed by phone participation. We will not reopen lots for missed bids.
12. RESERVES: Most of the lots in this auction are unreserved. Gold is generally reserved at or near spot, though it could be slightly below spot.
13. BIDDING INCREMENTS: All bids must be submitted in U.S. dollars and in whole dollar amounts only in the appropriate increments as outlined below. If you choose to submit bids in an increment not listed below, your bid will be rounded to the nearest increment and you will be expected to pay the amount to which the bid was rounded should your bid be the winning bid. If you have any questions about an appropriate bid amount, please call us.
From:
To:
Increment:
$1
$95
$5
$100
$190
$10
$200
$475
$25
$500
$1,450
$50
$1,500
$2,950
$100
$3,000
$9,750
$250
$1,000
$30,000
$500
$30,000
Up
$1,000
14. BID REDUCTION: All winning absentee bids will be reduced, if necessary, to the next bidding increment up from the last competing bid, as long as the minimum bid requirement has been met. For example, if you submit an absentee bid of $1000 and the next highest competing bid is $250, then you will win the lot for $275.
15. BID INFORMATION: Collectors often ask in advance the price level of a particular lot. We will give out the current competitive high absentee bid until we close the day before the live auction. You may also view absentee bids online at www.holabirdamericana.com. While we try to update the absentee bids as often as necessary, bids received close to the bidding deadline might not be reflected online, and we disclaim any responsibility for any bids made in reliance upon inaccuracies on our website, which may be beyond our control. We do not own any of the live Internet bidding platforms, and thus many aspects of the Internet technology are out of our control.
16. BID CANCELLATION: If you wish to cancel or change a bid after you have submitted your bids to us due to an error, you MUST PHONE us to advise us of this. Bid cancellations through mail, email, or faxes are not advisable. Errors are easy to make. Please call us if you have any questions on this.
17. All stock certificates, checks, warrants, and other financial documents sold herein are sold as antiquities, and have no financial, securities, or public trading value whatsoever.
18. We reserve the right to reject any bid we feel is not made in good faith.
19. INVOICING: Shipping charges will be added to all invoices. Invoices are mailed or emailed within two business days after the close of all portions of the sale. Within 15 calendar days of receipt of invoice, payment is due in full to Holabird’s Western Americana Collections, 3555 Airway Dr., #308, Reno, NV 89511. LATE FEES MAY BE ADDED IF PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS ARE NOT MADE WITHIN THOSE 15 DAYS. Sales tax will be added to all sales picked-up after the auction or shipped to Nevada addresses, according to Nevada State law, unless a resale certificate is provided.
20. PAYMENT: We accept Visa, Master Card, American Express, Discover, Money Order/Cashier’s Check, Personal Check or PayPal. Customers wishing to pay by check or money order MUST contact our office for an invoice total before sending payment All returned checks are subject to a $25 fee. Cash received in amounts greater than $10,000 is subject to the filing of IRS form 8300, as required by law.
21. SHIPPING & HANDLING: Shipping and Handling will be estimated prior to invoicing, based on the size and weight of your purchase. All shipping is subject to a minimum charge of $19.00. If additional shipping and handling costs are required, the buyer will be reinvoiced for the balance due. Items are not shipped until the invoice is completely paid. Many buyers purchase a number of lots. Every effort will be made to include all lots in a single shipping charge calculated to cover the weight and size of the package(s). NOTE: Some shipments (of unusual size, dimension, or weight) may require special handling for which individual costs will be calculated and applied to the shipping charge on the invoice. The buyer is responsible for arranging and paying for shipment of large or special items. The customer is responsible for all shipping charges. Purchases will be shipped via our approved, insured carriers: Federal Express or the US Postal Service. All items shipped Federal Express or USPS will be insured for the full value determined at auction by HWAC, which is included in our buyer’s premium. Pick up is available from our Reno office the next business day after the auction.
22. NON-PAYMENT: HWAC reserves the right to cancel any invoice not paid in full within 15 days. A cancelled invoice does not relieve the bidder from their obligation to pay seller fees and buyer’s premiums compensating HWAC for its services in conducting the auction. Interest shall run on all outstanding balances at the highest rate permitted by law. HWAC shall have a lien against the merchandise purchased by the bidder, and any other of bidder’s property then held by HWAC or its affiliates, to secure payment of the invoice, and with respect thereto HWAC shall have all the rights of a secured creditor under the Nevada Commercial Code, including but not limited to the right of sale. HWAC may sell the lot(s) securing the invoice to any underbidders in the auction that the lot(s) appeared, or at subsequent private or public sale, or relist the lot(s) in a future auction conducted by HWAC. A defaulting bidder agrees to pay for the reasonable costs of resale (including a 10% seller’s commission, if consigned to an auction conducted by HWAC). The defaulting bidder is liable to pay any difference between his or her total original invoice for the lot(s), plus any applicable interest, and the net proceeds for the lot(s) if sold at private sale or the subsequent hammer price of the lot(s) less the 10% seller’s commissions, if sold at an HWAC auction. If HWAC refers any invoice to an attorney for collection, the bidder agrees to pay attorney’s fees, court costs, and other collection costs incurred by HWAC. Any bidder who fails to follow the terms of payment will be reported to iCollector and may be barred from participating in future Holabird’s Western Americana auctions.
23. CONDITION: We strongly recommend that you attend the live preview to see lots in their entirety. Conditions are not always noted, and large lots may not be itemized due to catalog restraints. For questions, detailed information, or additional images of any lot please contact our office at 775-851-1859. Bidders are responsible for understanding the condition of items. Conditions noted are subjective, and may differ in the opinion of different people or collectors.
24. RETURN POLICY: All items are guaranteed to be authentic unless otherwise noted. If authenticity is challenged, please call our office for assistance. You may return any piece that was significantly inaccurately described by calling our office within 15 days of receipt of item(s) and notifying us of the error and reason for return. We do not refund postage or insurance. We have attempted to describe the items and their condition accurately. If no condition is given, assume average. Please call us if you require a more specific condition report. Any items that are returned must be returned in the exact, unaltered condition. NGC certified tokens that are returned must be original, unaltered NGC holders. Any tokens removed from the original NGC/NCS certification holders or items returned in an altered condition are deemed not returnable under any circumstances. When we receive your bids we will assume you have read the description in the catalog, viewed the image of the item, have contacted us regarding any questions you may have on any lot and/or have previewed the lot in person. Therefore, returns are only accepted if prior approval is given by Holabird’s Western Americana Collections.
25. This sale is being held under the laws of the State of Nevada, without reference to choice of law rules.
26. HWAC shall not be held responsible for any problem due to the bidders failure to follow the rules, terms and conditions of this sale, or any failure to bid due to the loss of the online auction process provided by any of the online auction networks; or missed bids, changed bids or cancelled due the bidders failure to follow the proper bidding procedure outlined herein.
27. By placing a bid or otherwise participating in the auction, Bidder accepts these Terms and Conditions, and specifically agrees to the dispute resolution provided herein.
28. HWAC shall not be responsible for consequential damages, incidental damages, compensatory damages, or any other damages arising or claimed to be arising from the auction on any lot. Bidder’s sole remedy for any proven act or omission shall be rescission of sale and refund of the amount paid by Bidder.
29. Any claim, dispute, or controversy in connection with, relating to and/or arising out of the Auction, participation in the Auction, award of lots, damages of claims to lots, descriptions, condition reports, provenance, estimates, return and warranty rights, any interpretation of these Terms and Conditions, any alleged verbal modification of these Terms and Conditions and/or any purported settlement shall be exclusively heard by, and the parties consent to exclusive in personal jurisdiction of, the Superior Court of Washoe County, Nevada. THE PARTIES EXPRESSLY WAIVE ANY RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY. Any claim must be brought within one (1) year of the auction from which the claim arose or the claim is waived. In every case, the prevailing party shall be entitled to an award of its attorney’s fees and costs.