"Christmas Chronicles", 2023 December Live Auction

Auction CurrencyUSD Auction Location3555 Airway Drive Suite 308, Reno, Nevada, 89511, United States In Person PreviewPreview

Auction Details

Christmas is coming early to our Collectors this year! Welcome to our Holabird's 2023 Christmas Chronicles, our biggest sale of the year!


The Christmas Chronicles December Auction is our Grand Finale of 2023 and we've included every collecting category as a Christmas Thank-You for our valued customers.

December is loaded with BRAND NEW ITEMS featuring collectibles from the Robert Coelln Western Collection, The Jan Garvis Mining Collection, The Franklin Collection, The Herzog Collection, The Chunlin Zhu Natural Wonders Collection, The Gary Bracken General Store Collection, plus many others!
No matter what you collect we encourage you to browse the entire online catalog for the DECEMBER LIVE AUCTION as hidden rarities are scattered throughout the sale! While our December's Sale includes an incredible selection of RARE Antique Photographs, you will also find photographs peppered in almost every other section, like the never-before-offered original, antique photograph of Doc Holiday and Big-Nose Kate you will find listed in our Cowboy section!
We've worked hard this fall to clear out our warehouses and list another big group of MINERAL DISPLAY SPECIMENS from the Chunlin Zhu Collection! Many of you have purchased massive specimens from this collection for incredible prices and dealers have made huge profits in this category since our premier sale over a year ago. We are proud to offer another BRAND-NEW GROUP of spectacular display specimens, as we are reaching the last of the Chinese pieces. This may be one of your last chances to purchase pieces like this well below wholesale -- just in time for the 2024 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show! We recommend pick-up for the larger pieces as shipping prices on some of these rocks are restrictive but this has offered an unbelievable opportunity for nearby customers willing to make a trip to Reno. And while you are in the neighborhood, don't miss the General Store items from Bracken, another collection that is coming to a close. For Dealers who enjoy a winter vacation in Reno/Tahoe, picking up from our year-end sale will definitely give you a leg up on your 2024 profit margin!
If you aren't within driving distance of Reno, no worries! December has an incredible variety of ephemera, coins, jewelry, and other easy-to-ship items for you to cross off your wish list this Christmas and if you won in our Black Friday Weekend Timed auction and your shipment did not go out early, we will combine your items and ship both orders together to save you money on your shipping invoice.

Thank you and happy bidding!

Day 1
Art (1000-1051)
Photography (1052-1138)
Native American Art (1139-1162)
Imported Collectibles (1163-1201)
Home (1202-1215)
Souvenir Plates (1216-1225)
Silverware (1226-1230)
Jewelry (1231-1241)
Native American Artifacts (1242-1392)
Maps (1393-1418)
Books (1419-1535)
Entertainment (1536-1551)
Musical Instruments (1552-1555)


Day 2
Minerals (2000-2052)
Mining (2053-2400)
Cowboy (2401-2438)
Tobacciana (2439-2452)
Bottles (2453-2476)
Saloon (2477-2492)
Gaming (2493-2501)
Firearms-Weapons (2501-2509)
Military (2510-2552)
Political (2553-2587)

Day 3
Sports (3000-3009)
Tokens (3010-3023)
Badges (3024-3037)
Numismatics (3038-3181)
Coins (3039-3056)
Currency (3057-3083)
Ephemera (3084-3112)
Ingots (3113-3149)
Exonumia & Medals (3150-3182)
SS Central America (3183-3213)
Transportation (3214-3300)
General Collectibles (3301-3332)
Tools (3333-3334)
General Store (3335-3411)
Ephemera,
Geographically Sorted (3412-3593)

Day 4
Stocks & Bonds (4000-4429)
Including mining, railroad, etc
Philatelic - Postal History (4430-4465)
Postcards (4466-4486)
Stamps – USA (4487-4521)
Stamps – Worldwide (4522-4528)
Wells Fargo & Express (4529-4576)
Firefighting Memorabilia (4577-4579)
Fraternal Organizations (4580-4582)

Shipping is billed separately. Pay your auction invoice early as purchases are packed in the order payments are received. Pick-up must be scheduled 24 hours in advance when you receive your shipping preference email after the auction. Invoices will go out immediately after the auction ends.

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Meteorite Keychains in Bulk    [173000]2040 - Meteorite Keychains in Bulk [173000]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
About 203 keychains with egg shaped plastic containing a small meteorite. 8 lbs. Plastic 1.25". This lot is from out of this world! Chunli...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 700.00 - 1,200.00
Sold to y*****5 for (550.00 + 137.50BP) = 687.50
 
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Smithsonite Ore Samples (2)    [170238]2041 - Smithsonite Ore Samples (2) [170238]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Smithsonite ore samples from Cerro Gordo, Inyo County, California. Found by a professional collector, these samples measure 4"x 2.5"x 2.5&...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 300.00 - 500.00
Sold to a*****s for (120.00 + 30.00BP) = 150.00
 
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Ore Samples & Gold From The Alabama Hills    [170697]2042 - Ore Samples & Gold From The Alabama Hills [170697]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Four gold and copper ore samples (An unusual combination) and a small vile of gold dust from the Abbe Mine, located in the Alabama Hills in Inyo Count
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 200.00 - 500.00
Sold to N********e.. for (300.00 + 75.00BP) = 375.00
 
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DeLamar Mine, High Grade S&G Ore Specimens, Silver City    [173794]2043 - DeLamar Mine, High Grade S&G Ore Specimens, Silver City [173794]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
3 small cut slab specimens of DeLamar high grade from Silver city. Each of these shows important mineralogical features in the ore deposit. a.) 1 x 1.
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 500.00 - 1,500.00
Sold to a*****s for (200.00 + 50.00BP) = 250.00
 
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DeLamar Mine, SC High Grade Silver Ore Specimen    [173889]2044 - DeLamar Mine, SC High Grade Silver Ore Specimen [173889]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Native silver and argentite in dendritic form in veined quartz. 4" x 2" x 1" A spectacular hand specimen cut on 3 sides clearly show...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 400.00 - 1,000.00
Sold to b*********n for (150.00 + 37.50BP) = 187.50
 
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High Grade Gold Specimen from Hollister mine    [173888]2045 - High Grade Gold Specimen from Hollister mine [173888]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Ivanhoe district, Elko County. 5 x 3 x 2.5" Quartz and calcite with ruby silver minerals in a banded breccia with quartz pseudomorph of calcit...
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 200.00 | Estimate : 400.00 - 800.00
 
 
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Sleeper Mine Ore Specimen    [173791]2046 - Sleeper Mine Ore Specimen [173791]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
3.5" x 2" x 1/2" 90 grams. From the sleeper main vein elevation 4000 feet. Numerous layers of colloform/mammilary silica and native ...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 700.00 - 1,500.00
Sold to N********e.. for (375.00 + 93.75BP) = 468.75
 
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Sleeper Mine Ore Specimen, Native Gold    [173792]2047 - Sleeper Mine Ore Specimen, Native Gold [173792]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
A cut slab, polished on one side. 2 1/4" x 1 1/2" x 3/8" thick. Gold rich bands containing electrum dendrites embedded in opal quartz...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 400.00 - 800.00
Sold to a*****s for (180.00 + 45.00BP) = 225.00
 
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High Grade Comstock Silver/Gold Nevada Shaped Specimen    [172771]2048 - High Grade Comstock Silver/Gold Nevada Shaped Specimen [172771]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
High grade Comstock silver with visible gold cut into shape of Nevada. Very rare, must have been cut from a c. 1860 specimen. About .75"x 1 1/8...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 500.00 - 1,000.00
Sold to s******B for (425.00 + 106.25BP) = 531.25
 
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High Grade Ore Specimens From Virginia City (9)    [139467]2049 - High Grade Ore Specimens From Virginia City (9) [139467]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
lot of nine specimens. Comes in a nice wooden box. 1) Silver & Gold ore Justice Mine 2.) Silver Ore Savage Mine 3.) Silver Ore Virginia Mine ...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 1,000.00 - 2,000.00
Sold to x**********u for (500.00 + 125.00BP) = 625.00
 
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Nevada High Grade Ore Collection, Herz Brothers Jewelry c1890    [173216]2050 - Nevada High Grade Ore Collection, Herz Brothers Jewelry c1890 [173216]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
More than 50 specimens in an original 12 x 17" felt lined wood box kept by jewelry RH Herz of Reno c1870s-1900. this is a wide variety of ore s...
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 1,500.00 | Estimate : 3,000.00 - 5,000.00
 
 
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Gold/Silver Ore Specimens with Quartz Crystals, Unknown Locality    [132525]2051 - Gold/Silver Ore Specimens with Quartz Crystals, Unknown Locality [132525]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Three chunks, one large and two small, of a gold/silver ore from an unknown locality. Silver is in the dark grey minerals (possibly argentite or acant
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 525.00 - 1,000.00
Sold to a*****s for (100.00 + 25.00BP) = 125.00
 
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Gold and Silver Amalgam    [136191]2052 - Gold and Silver Amalgam [136191]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Round container of 21.2 grams of gold and silver amalgam.
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 600.00 | Estimate : 1,200.00 - 2,000.00
 
 
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Sterling Butter Knife with Gold Nugget  1898-1901  [172964]2053 - Sterling Butter Knife with Gold Nugget 1898-1901 [172964]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
A sterling silver butter knife with Whitehorse inscribed on the blade. There is also a 1/8" gold nugget in the handle. The knife is 6" in ...
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 120.00 | Estimate : 240.00 - 350.00
 
 
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California Gold Rush Money Vest, c1850s    [168004]2054 - California Gold Rush Money Vest, c1850s [168004]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Ornate small leather money vest intended to hold gold coin and be worn under clothing. 2 identical side by side panels 15.5" x 8.5" attach...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 2,000.00 - 3,000.00
Sold to k**********y for (1,000.00 + 250.00BP) = 1,250.00
 
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Miners Pendant with California Bear    [173536]2055 - Miners Pendant with California Bear [173536]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Pick, shovel and pan on a short chain, with a California grizzly bear on the shovel's face. 2 1/2 inches wide and two inches long. The top chain...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 200.00 - 400.00
Sold to C*****r for (170.00 + 42.50BP) = 212.50
 
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Gold Pocket Scale and Nested Weights    [168409]2056 - Gold Pocket Scale and Nested Weights [168409]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
No makers name German gold pocket scale in wood case. Old and well used, likely from California Gold Rush era. Nested weights-.5-10 DWTS and more up t
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 200.00 - 400.00
Sold to G*******2 for (90.00 + 22.50BP) = 112.50
 
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New York City Approved Pocket Balance  1800s-1900s  [175521]2057 - New York City Approved Pocket Balance 1800s-1900s [175521]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
A pocket scale in a wood box measuring 3"x 6", approved by the city of New York. The set appears intact, with maybe one weight missing. Pl...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 400.00 - 800.00
Sold to y*****5 for (180.00 + 45.00BP) = 225.00
 
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Troemner Weight Set for Large Balance  1900s  [175522]2058 - Troemner Weight Set for Large Balance 1900s [175522]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Weight set for larger balance up to 20 Troy ounce. The set seems to be complete and is in a nice wood box. It measures 3.5"x 4"x 8"....
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 300.00 - 600.00
Sold to v******p for (150.00 + 37.50BP) = 187.50
 
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Assayers Pocket Scale and Weights    [168540]2059 - Assayers Pocket Scale and Weights [168540]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Brown wood cased No. 5a assay scale by H Kohlsbusch, New-York. Weights from 1-5 plus small strips. Case 1.25x6x2.75', inscribed N C Morris'...
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 150.00 | Estimate : 300.00 - 500.00
 
 
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