December Dreams Premier Auction: Western Americana, Mining, & Numismatics (December 2021)

Auction CurrencyUSD Auction Location3555 Airway Drive Suite 309, Reno, Nevada, 89511, United States In Person PreviewPreview

Auction Details

Welcome to our "December Dreams" Premier Auction, our final sale of 2021!

December Sale Highlights
This December Sale includes many highlighted collections, including parts of the Ken Prag Postcard Collection, Bill McKivor Token and Medal Collection, MacKenzie Montana Collection, and the Ron Lerch Western Directory Collection, all supplemented by some world-class great rarities from other private collections nationwide.

Fresh to the market is the Ron Lerch Collection of Western Directories. The collection numbers nearly 700 different directories, and here are presented about 200 directories as the first part of this major historic and all-important reference material collection, picked somewhat randomly from the collection. Most of the Western states have several directories offered in this first sale. Some of the key pieces in the December sale are the two very rare San Francisco Chinese business directories, as well as a number of very rare county directories of the nineteenth century. Directories are considered “primary source” material, and as such are essential in aspects of historical research. Few of the directories in the Lerch Collection have been digitized (with the Langley’s San Francisco an obvious exception).

Yes, the Prag Collection keeps on giving! This sale contains about 500 lots of postcards, but the majority, perhaps 350 lots, are from California. This large group offers some of the best and rarest postcards we’ve offered yet, from Pioneer cards (Private Mailing Cards, c1898-1902) to rare artists and themes, such as Disney (1930s cards) and the Titanic (both pre-sinking and post sinking from 1912).

Within these two massive collections is a common theme: Hawaii. The Prag Collection offers about 40 lots of vintage Hawaii postcards, and there are about 7 Hawaiian directories from the Lerch Collection.

Antiquarian photography is another key category for collectors, including many historic and possibly unique western stereo-view cards and photographs, and an absolutely fabulous Ansel Adams original photograph group from his Yosemite Series (all signed), highlighted by “Moon over El Capitan”, print No. 10, considered by many as one of his greatest photographs.

As always, we have a strong Native Americana section, with baskets (more coming in the next sale), jewelry and art. Speaking of Art, we have three early Salvador Dali signed lithographic prints, and a rather wonderful group of Japanese wood block and lithograph prints, many with original signatures.

The MacKenzie Montana Collection continues, with several hundred lots of historical Montana documents and ephemera.

The Railroad and Mining sections contain selections from several private collections with a number of rarities. This sale features premier California Gold Rush and Nevada Territory mining collections!

Our Numismatics section includes a collection of So-Called Dollars and new offerings from the Bill McKivor Nevada token and world-medal collection, not to be missed!

Make sure to use the Keyword search tool to find items in your collecting areas across the three auction days. As usual, our team is happy and ready to answer questions.

And please send us those great collections for 2022! Yours could be the next world record!

--Fred Holabird & Team--


Auction Schedule

Day 1, Friday, December 17th, 2021, Lots 1000-1610
Philatelic (1000-1527)
Military, Political, & Firearms (1528-1558)
Gaming (1559-1577)
Model Railroad & Toys (1578-1610)

Day 2, Saturday, December 18th, 2021, Lots 2000-2683
Books feat. Ron Lerch Directory Collection, Part I (2000-2229)
Mining Artifacts & Ephemera (2230-2363)
Stock Certificates & Bonds (2364-2683)
Mining (2364-2551)
Railroad (2552-2624)
Miscellaneous (2625-2683)

Day 3, Sunday, December 19th, 2021, Lots 3000-3614
Native Americana (3000-3044)
Art feat. Ansel Adams (3045-3087)
General Americana (3088-3388)
Geographically Sorted
Misc. Categories incl. Coffee Mill Collection
Numismatics (3389-3613)
Coins & Currency (3389-3397)
Medals & So-Called Dollars (3398-3447)
Tokens feat. Bill McKivor Nevada Tokens, Part II (3448-3614)
SHIPPING & HANDLING: Shipping is subject to a minimum charge of $19.00. Shipping and handling cannot be estimated prior to invoicing as it is based on the size and weight of your purchase. Additional shipping and handling costs, if required, will be re-invoiced 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.SHIPPING & HANDLING: Shipping and Handling cannot be estimated prior to invoicing, based on the size a...
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Napa Soda Springs In-House Produced Postcards [134376]1200 - Napa Soda Springs In-House Produced Postcards [134376]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Lot of 16 historical printed color postcards that were produced and sold at the springs. Each has an imprint and description in purple text on the rev
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 100.00 - 200.00
Sold to f*****E for (30.00 + 0.00BP) = 30.00
 
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Napa Soda Springs Pioneer Postcard & Two RPPC [134383]1201 - Napa Soda Springs Pioneer Postcard & Two RPPC [134383]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Lot of 3. 1) The only pioneer (Private Mailing) Napa Soda Springs card in the Prag Collection! Sent in 1904 to Iowa. Printed purple-tinted photo. One
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 150.00 - 200.00
Sold to h*******e for (110.00 + 27.50BP) = 137.50
 
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Napa Soda Springs Postcards Published by Mitchell [134384]1202 - Napa Soda Springs Postcards Published by Mitchell [134384]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Lot of 14 cards published by Ed. Mitchell of San Francisco. FH believes these are essentially the first postcards published for Napa Soda Springs. Sev
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 150.00 - 250.00
Sold to f*****E for (50.00 + 0.00BP) = 50.00
 
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Napa Soda Springs Postcards Sold by Haas [134381]1203 - Napa Soda Springs Postcards Sold by Haas [134381]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Lot of 23 postcards sold by Haas Stationery Co. in Napa, California (and published by multiple people). Some duplicate views. Includes 2 early pre-spl
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 100.00 - 300.00
Sold to f*****E for (30.00 + 0.00BP) = 30.00
 
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Napa Soda Springs, California Postcards by Hughes [134375]1204 - Napa Soda Springs, California Postcards by Hughes [134375]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Lot of 5 different postcards published by EC Hughes & Co., San Francisco. One mailed in 1914. Views include: The Rotunda, The Lower Drive (two d...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 100.00 - 120.00
Sold to h*******e for (50.00 + 12.50BP) = 62.50
 
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Napa Soda Springs, California Postcard Group (25) [134332]1205 - Napa Soda Springs, California Postcard Group (25) [134332]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Lot of 25. These are cards from smaller publishers: Richard Behrendt; EE Cook & Co.; Cardinell-Vincent Co.; Newman; WL Griffiths; Jos. Levinson;...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 150.00 - 250.00
Sold to f*****E for (60.00 + 0.00BP) = 60.00
 
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Napa Soda Springs Postcards (38) [141292]1206 - Napa Soda Springs Postcards (38) [141292]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Thirty-eight scenic postcards of Napa Soda Springs in Napa, California. Vintage general and rotunda views. The earliest card is postmarked in 1905 and
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 100.00 - 300.00
Sold to f*****E for (60.00 + 0.00BP) = 60.00
 
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Modern Nevada City Postcards [141241]1207 - Modern Nevada City Postcards [141241]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Lot of 33. Postcards, business cards, Ads. Nine have writing/postmarked: Nevada City, Chicago Park, CA, Grass Valley.. 1.2.and 3 cents cancelled
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 100.00 - 200.00
Sold to b*******n for (50.00 + 12.50BP) = 62.50
 
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Nevada City, CA Postcards [140356]1208 - Nevada City, CA Postcards [140356]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Lot of 13. Color, Some Divided backs. Eight have writing/postmarked : Lincoln, Nevada City. 10 Birdseye view of Nevada City.. Street level: Nat
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 120.00 - 200.00
Sold to j*******h for (40.00 + 10.00BP) = 50.00
 
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Nevada City Postcards of Historic Buildings [141240]1209 - Nevada City Postcards of Historic Buildings [141240]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Lot of 23. Vintage postcard, divided backs. Seventeen with writing/postmarked : Grass Valley, Nevada City. 1 cent cancelled stamps. Street Level v
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 150.00 - 250.00
Sold to b*******n for (50.00 + 12.50BP) = 62.50
 
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