Gold Rush Auction

Auction Details

Welcome to our Gold Rush sale of 2018!!

The sale features the Al Adams Gold Rush Memorabilia Collection
and a number of other prominent collections.

Mr. Adams has been collecting for over 40 years, and along the way assembled perhaps the best collection in private hands, making this sale a “Once in a Lifetime Event.” His specialty is an area few Americans ever knew about- the Georgia - North Carolina gold rush, c1799-1840’s, literally decades before the California Gold Rush. Just think about some of the great pieces in this collection:

*The first Gold Company stock certificate (1807)

*1830 Letter from Georgia Bank to US Mint asking what to do with the gold coming in

*Gold Lottery Tickets for Georgia land

*Gold Lot Deeds with Medals rarely seen by collectors

*Pigeon Roost Mining Co. scrip collection (1835-1838), possibly the finest assembled

*Belfast Mining Co. scrip collection (1830’s), finest assembled

*Dahlonega, Charlotte, San Francisco, Carson City, Denver, New Orleans, Philadelphia Mint gold bullion receipts

*Gold Rush era private assayer bullion receipts from California, Nevada, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Arizona

*1840’s, 1850’s and 1860’s mining company stock certificates from both the east (Appalachian gold belt) and the West (California, Nevada, Colorado) – the best offering to date.

*Over two dozen different Nevada territorial stock certificates.

These tidbits are part of this unique sale, which makes it the best offering of its kind in history.

The Gold Rush sale is nothing short of phenomenal.

The Gold Rush Setting

Here is the setting under which the gold discoveries in Georgia and North Carolina were made:

…Imagine a world before the civil war, before the gold rush, right after the United States was formed. We had just created our first coinage in the early to mid 1790’s. As a country, we had just 16 states by 1800, which crept up to 24 states by 1821 and remained there for 15 years! Development of the areas south and west of and in the original 13 states was slow. It was called the “western frontier”. The “America” then consisted of Native Americans and expats from western Europe looking for a better life. Most were farmers or merchants. The “scientists” of the western world remained in western Europe. Mankind dint know much about geology- indeed, the first geologic map was printed in Europe in 1799, and it would take another 25-30 years before we had anything similar in America. The science of ore deposits was not well understood, and was only just recently out from under the mystique of Alchemy.

Enter the discovery of a gold nugget in North Carolina in 1799. It took fully 29 years before substantive gold discoveries were made in Georgia and North Carolina. Here is the amazing part- these discoveries were made from good-old American ingenuity. Not one single miner had an education in mining in Europe. As far as is known, not a single man in the Georgia, North Carolina gold rush had been a miner. These men developed the ability to look for gold and mining systems on their own in the American wilderness, a marvelous feat of accomplishment – a true iconic part of American ingenuity at its best.

More on the Auction

To add to this remarkable collection are hundreds of mining artifacts, including many collected from Georgia mines, as well as a fantastic Numismatic library inclusive of many rarities.

*Other collections featured include the collection of Robert Bennett, a well known mining geologist who spent a good part of his career working the Goldfield district. During his 45-plus year career, he collected high grade ore specimens from many major mines he was lucky enough to work on, and these are dutifully included in this sale, as are gold and fabulous turquoise specimens from longtime collector Jerry Gray of Carson City.

*Our friend Vern Potter, a national ephemera dealer known to all, retired from the business and gave us his massive collection, some of which is here, including gold rush era exchanges, important maps, and special documents you haven’t seen in decades (more in coming sales!). Added to this are pieces from the Ken Prag Collection, which keeps on coming with great rarities!

*Gold rush era coins, such as a complete Hart gold token set, -all graded and holdered; a number of Carson City coins; a fabulous 999 fine golden egg custom made for an Arizona collector in 1982; gold rush era soda bottles in hues of cobalt blue, teal, green from San Francisco, Sacramento and Savannah; Nevada mining camp bottles; Pawnee Bill full color posters – an integral part of Western history all supplement an otherwise terrific sale; and choice western mining photographs.

*Rare books with a mining theme are also present, from several collections, including the Robert Fulton collection (former head of Univ. Nevada, reno in the 1920’s). A key piece from one of the collections is an inscribed Sutro Tunnel book to Melville Atwood from the “Father of Arizona” Charles D. Poston.

*The mining stock certificate collections offered here are among the best ever offered by us. They include four major collections. including the Laguna Collection of rare Arizona stocks, part of a major Bodie collection, antique firearms, and rare Tahoe gaming chips.

*Western revenue checks with a focus on the Comstock Lode

Auction Schedule

Day One (Lots 1000-1755)
Numismatics (1000-1577)
U.S. Mint (1000-1068)
Coins & Coins Collectibles (1069-1208)
Ingots (1209-1215)
Currency, Scrip, & Currency Collectibles (1216-1357)
Checks & Exchanges (1358-1424)
Tokens (1425-1489)
Medals (1490-1553)
Scales (1554-1581)

Wells Fargo & Other Express (1582-1693)
Adams & Co. (1582-1606)
Wells Fargo (1607-1676)
Other Express (1677-1693)

World’s Fair & Expositions (1694-1707)

Gaming (1708-1728)

Jewelry & Watches (1729-1755)


Day Two (Lots 1756-1770) & (Lots 2000-2731)
Gold Nuggets & Specimens (1756-1770)
Minerals (2000-2149)
Mining Part I (2150-2731)
Assay (2150-2278)
Explosives (2279-2291)
Mining Lighting (2292-2298)
Mining Artifacts & Tools (2299-2231)
Mining Art (2232-2354)
Geographic (Alabama-California) (2355-2731)

Day Three (Lots 3000-3727)
Mining Part II
Geographic (Colorado-Foreign) (3000-3691)
Books (3692-3727)

Day Four (Lots 4000-4717)
Bottles (4000-4094)
Railroadiana (4095-4222)
Passes (4095-4176)
Ephemera (4177-4222)
Civil War (4223-4259)
Pawnee Bill Broadsides (4260 & 4261)
Firearms & Weaponry (4262-4315)
General Americana feat. California & Georgia Gold Rush Ephemera
Geographic Sort (4316-4637)
Miscellaneous incl. Art, General Store, Maps, & Books (4638-4717)





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 sp...
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McLaughin Gold Mine2005 - McLaughin Gold Mine
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Banded chalcedony Vein. 5x5x3". This is a modern day gold mining operation. This open pit is run by Homestake Mining Company. The gold is found...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 100.00 - 200.00
Sold to a********s.. for (250.00 + 62.50BP) = 312.50
 
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McLaughin Gold Mine2006 - McLaughin Gold Mine
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Banded chalcedony Vein. High Grade Mineralization. 5x4x2". This is a modern day gold mining operation. This open pit is run by Homestake Mining...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 200.00 - 400.00
Sold to a********s.. for (130.00 + 32.50BP) = 162.50
 
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McLaughin Gold Mine2007 - McLaughin Gold Mine
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Banded vein w/ barite. With box work. 7x3.5x4". This is a modern day gold mining operation. This open pit is run by Homestake Mining Company. T...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 200.00 - 400.00
Sold to a********s.. for (100.00 + 25.00BP) = 125.00
 
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McLaughin Gold Mine2008 - McLaughin Gold Mine
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Cinnabar fracture filling. This is Northern California's largest Gold Mine. It was a late discovery. 5.5x4x4.5". This is a modern day gold ...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 100.00 - 200.00
Sold to a********s.. for (50.00 + 12.50BP) = 62.50
 
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McLaughin Gold Mine2009 - McLaughin Gold Mine
Holabird Western Americana Collections
San Quenton siliceous sinter. 4x3.5x2.5". Field Guide: Norm Lehrman. This is a modern day gold mining operation. This open pit is run by Homest...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 100.00 - 200.00
Sold to m********y for (110.00 + 27.50BP) = 137.50
 
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Gold in Quartz from Nevada County, California2010 - Gold in Quartz from Nevada County, California
Holabird Western Americana Collections
The northern Sierra Nevada is home to numerous important gold deposits. These include the famous lode districts and placer deposits of Nevada County w
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 1,800.00 | Estimate : 3,600.00 - 5,400.00
 
 
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Gold Leaf Specimen from California2011 - Gold Leaf Specimen from California
Holabird Western Americana Collections
This fine, California leaf gold specimen was previously in the mineral collection of F. John Barlow (Specimen #G-157). Barlow was passionate about col
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 1,500.00 | Estimate : 3,000.00 - 4,500.00
 
 
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High Grade Ore Specimen from the Bulldog Mine2012 - High Grade Ore Specimen from the Bulldog Mine
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Three specimens of high-grade silver from the Bulldog mine in Creede, Colorado. The largest is a slab is 2.5" long 1 1/2 inches wide of approxi...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 300.00 - 500.00
Sold to m********y for (150.00 + 37.50BP) = 187.50
 
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Cresson Gold Mine2013 - Cresson Gold Mine
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Fluorite, quartz, pyrite cemented breccia from the Cresson mine. 4x4.5x3". The Cresson Gold Mine was one of the most important of the Cripple C...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 150.00 - 300.00
Sold to m********y for (75.00 + 18.75BP) = 93.75
 
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Cresson Gold Mine2014 - Cresson Gold Mine
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Fluorite, quartz, pyrite cemented breccia from the Cresson mine. 3.5x3x2". The Cresson Gold Mine was one of the most important of the Cripple C...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 100.00 - 200.00
Sold to m********y for (50.00 + 12.50BP) = 62.50
 
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Wire Gold in Quartz from Ibex Mine, Leadville, Colorado2015 - Wire Gold in Quartz from Ibex Mine, Leadville, Colorado
Holabird Western Americana Collections
An important, rich specimen of wire gold in quartz from the historically significant Ibex / Little Jonny Mine area. Margaret "Molly" Brown...
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 1,000.00 | Estimate : 2,000.00 - 3,000.00
 
 
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Wire Gold from Ibex Mine, Leadville, Colorado2016 - Wire Gold from Ibex Mine, Leadville, Colorado
Holabird Western Americana Collections
This rich, wire gold specimen was uncovered by metal detector during the last 20 years. The specimen was most recently in the mineral collection of Br
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 6,250.00 | Estimate : 12,500.00 - 18,750.00
 
 
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Two High Grade Colorado Ore Specimens2017 - Two High Grade Colorado Ore Specimens
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Two different Colorado high-grade gold silver specimens. The smaller specimen is a 3.2 gram slab showing native silver and native gold from the Bulldo
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 150.00 - 250.00
Sold to m********y for (150.00 + 37.50BP) = 187.50
 
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Copper from Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan2018 - Copper from Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan
Holabird Western Americana Collections
An exceptionally well-crystallized copper specimen from the historically important copper mining province of the Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan. While c
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 2,250.00 | Estimate : 4,500.00 - 6,750.00
 
 
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Esmeralda Gold Silver-mine2019 - Esmeralda Gold Silver-mine
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Banded quartz vein with common fine disseminated grains of electrum mainly in the darker bands. High grade gold throughout. 2.5" diameter. 5&q...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 300.00 - 500.00
Sold to m********y for (300.00 + 75.00BP) = 375.00
 
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Blue June Mine Turquoise Specimens2020 - Blue June Mine Turquoise Specimens
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Three specimens from Blue June, deep turquoise colr with black matrix. These are unusual looking, and nice. #40 weighs 39g. # 41, a pendant weighs 8g,
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 200.00 | Estimate : 400.00 - 1,000.00
 
 
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Oregon Ledge, Austin Silver Specimen2021 - Oregon Ledge, Austin Silver Specimen
Holabird Western Americana Collections
This specimen from the area of the Oregon Mine contains silver sulfides, polybasite, stephanite, pyrargyrite, and tetrahedrite. 19.71 ounces. 5.3 x 10
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 100.00 - 200.00
Sold to m********y for (50.00 + 12.50BP) = 62.50
 
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Three Reese River District High Grade Silver Specimens2022 - Three Reese River District High Grade Silver Specimens
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Three slabs of native silver and oxide silver minerals in quartz. Two are about 2" square, the other 1" square. collected by Jerry Gray. T...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 300.00 - 600.00
Sold to m********y for (150.00 + 37.50BP) = 187.50
 
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Two Lots of McGinnis Turquoise2023 - Two Lots of McGinnis Turquoise
Holabird Western Americana Collections
These lots are polished carefully. They are small, but beautiful! #11 weighs 2.4g (deep turquoise color) and #12 is 4g (pale blue turquoise). "...
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 150.00 | Estimate : 300.00 - 600.00
 
 
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Big Smoky Valley Gold2024 - Big Smoky Valley Gold
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Large specimen from the Big Smoky Valley. 86 g, 2 inch cube, plus slab. Dark brown Gossen with pyrite, some native gold. Also comes with the second pi
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 75.00 | Estimate : 150.00 - 250.00
 
 
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