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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The Zamorano Eighty by Kraus4490 - The Zamorano Eighty by Kraus
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Hardcover reprint of first edition. 1969. 66pp. "The Zamorano 80: A Selection of Distinguished California Books Made by Members of the Zamorano...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 100.00 - 150.00
Sold to i*****l for (50.00 + 12.50BP) = 62.50
 
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A Tramp Through the Bret Hart Country by Beasley, Rare Copy4491 - A Tramp Through the Bret Hart Country by Beasley, Rare Copy
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Rare private press printing with rag edge. Inscribed RL Fulton 1914. From the collection of the former President of the Nevada Historical Society, Rob
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 150.00 - 250.00
Sold to p********n for (75.00 + 18.75BP) = 93.75
 
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California History Book Set4492 - California History Book Set
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Extremely important set of Bancroft's works on the history of California, in seven volumes, 1542 to 1890. This seven volume set is the 1963 rep...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 400.00 - 800.00
Sold to p********n for (350.00 + 87.50BP) = 437.50
 
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California Sterling Silver Souvenir Spoons (8)4493 - California Sterling Silver Souvenir Spoons (8)
Holabird Western Americana Collections
8 California souvenir spoons-teaspoon, Capistrano Mission. 7 small-San Gabriel Mission, Santa Barbara, Catalina, Santa Barbara Mission, Hotel del Coro
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 140.00 - 200.00
Sold to c*******h for (75.00 + 18.75BP) = 93.75
 
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Great Collection of California Postmarks on USPOD Registered Packages4494 - Great Collection of California Postmarks on USPOD Registered Packages
Holabird Western Americana Collections
29 different postmarks from 22 different locations. Best are Coarse Gold Gulch 1892 (1878-1895), early Greenwood, 1881 purple Amador County Volcano, 1
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 300.00 - 700.00
Sold to p********n for (150.00 + 37.50BP) = 187.50
 
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Interesting, Miscellaneous Early 1860's California Lot4495 - Interesting, Miscellaneous Early 1860's California Lot
Holabird Western Americana Collections
1) Lot of three. 1) Letter from Marysville, California in 1863. Acknowledging check received for $300/ From Marcus(?) Brothers to JW Brown. 2) 1862 Pe
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 50.00 | Estimate : 100.00 - 200.00
 
 
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Land Affidavit Documents 1860's4496 - Land Affidavit Documents 1860's
Holabird Western Americana Collections
This is a small group of land affidavits and a declaration statement dated 1865/1867. They are handwritten and signed by Registrar S.B Ayer. Nice rea
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 100.00 - 200.00
Sold to l*******c for (50.00 + 12.50BP) = 62.50
 
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Postcards (3) & Anniversary Admission to Society of California Pioneers4497 - Postcards (3) & Anniversary Admission to Society of California Pioneers
Holabird Western Americana Collections
3 postcards,(1 with note on back to person in Gardnerville, NV dated 1911); 1 Admission to 30th Anniversary of Society of California Pioneers program
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 150.00 | Estimate : 300.00 - 400.00
 
 
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Set of Lithographic Views of California Towns and other Book Club of California Ephemera4498 - Set of Lithographic Views of California Towns and other Book Club of California Ephemera
Holabird Western Americana Collections
3 different sets of ephemera from The Book Club of California. 1) Lithographic Views of California Towns 1875-1889, 10 sheets including Red Bluff, Nap
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 50.00 | Estimate : 100.00 - 200.00
 
 
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Three Early Hand Written California Receipts (Sonora, Forest Hill, San Francisco)4499 - Three Early Hand Written California Receipts (Sonora, Forest Hill, San Francisco)
Holabird Western Americana Collections
1) April 17, 1851 receipt issued to Henry Teschachaer during the liquidation of Simmins Hutchins & Company. Signed by a clerk named Walls. 2) 18...
Bidding Has Concluded
Start Price : 50.00 | Estimate : 100.00 - 150.00
 
 
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