SS Central America Shipwreck Artifacts Auction, Part II (March 2023)

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

Auction Details

Welcome to Part II of the SS Central America Shipwreck Artifacts Auctions!

After breaking world records in the Part I, December 2022 auction, we now present the second and final auction of unique treasure items from this world-famous 1857 Gold Rush treasure ship.

The 420 lots in this sale are split into five sections hosted over two days. Sections 1, 2, & 3 will take place on Saturday, March 4th, 2023. Sections 4 & 5 will take place on Sunday, March 5th, 2023.

The catalog organization is a journey of exploration for our collectors and bidders through this epic treasure ship! Each of five evenly divided sections has a nice cross-section of the various types of items found, such as jewelry, passenger items, ship hardware, brass tags of a varying nature, clothes, and, of course, items from the Gold Room. Each section includes a focus on a specific room/area of the ship, such as the Saloon, Wine Room, Dining Room, Purser's Safe and Gold Room. Each of the five different sections also features two of what we consider to be the ten "key items" in the sale, such as the Sam Brannan gold brooch, Kellogg & Humbert ingot, "Mona Lisa of the Deep" photograph, contemporary counterfeit 8 escudo gold coin, and much more.

The print catalog itself is a “must-have” for every SS Central America collector and historian. In a very special first for any auction catalog, it contains QR codes that will lead you to videos showing recovery of select items by the Nemo ROV! Every section of the catalog contains detailed stories and essays of the people and items. Also included for the first time is a detailed floor plan of every level of the ship with notes by Bob and Fred based on actual experience and archival information, inclusive of the original passenger receipts. These long stories cannot be transferred to the internet bidding sites, nor can the three-dimensional photographs. Virtually none of the information has been previously published. We know you’ll love what you see and read!

This print catalog is available for $100, refunded by a purchase from the sale of $500 or more. The printed quantity is limited. We also have perhaps a dozen catalogs left of the first SS Central America sale in December, also available at $100. (Please see more details about the print catalog at holabirdamericana.com)

We invite collectors to join us in-person at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, where you can meet and ask questions of chief scientist Bob Evans, the “main man” on all four of the recovery expeditions, and Fred Holabird. These two spent 35 and 25 years respectively working on various aspects of this incredible treasure. You can also bid on the phone with one of our agents; or bid online with one of four auction platforms: iCollector, Live Auctioneers, Invaluable, or AuctionZip. The latter three sites may have an additional Buyer’s Premium.

Our friendly staff is ready to help you participate; whether it be to assist in registration, placing an absentee bid, or answering an expert question. Absentee bidding begins Saturday, February 11th. Questions are welcome!
Please call our office at (775) 851-1859.

So now, fellow treasure hunters, please join us on this second and final adventure to the Deep. From the California goldfields to the Atlantic Ocean floor to the Holabird auction showroom, we're thrilled and honored to bring you with us on this journey exploring the recovered stories, secrets, and treasures of the "Ship of Gold."

Happy bidding!

~The Holabird Team & Other Members of the SSCA Project~


Auction Schedule & Table of Contents

Saturday, March 4th, 2023, Sections 1-3
     Section 1: Lots 1000-1088
          Treasures from the Wrong Ship, Site 87
          Easton Trunk Part I feat. the Easton Trunk
          Saloon feat. the Easton Smoking Jacket
          Jewelry Part I feat. The Sam Brannan Brooch
          Gold Room Part I
          Dement Trunk Part I
          Passenger Items Part I
          Ship Hardware Part I: Topside feat. the Ship Porthole

     Section 2: Lots 2000-2079
          Dement Trunk Part II feat. the Dement Trunk
          Gold Room Part II
          Jewelry Part II
          Firearms feat. the Colt 1851 Pistol
          Easton Trunk Part II
          Water Closet
          Medical & Ladies Items
          Passenger Items Part II feat. “Mona Lisa of the Deep”
    
     Section 3: Lots 3000-3086
          Wine Room
          Easton Trunk Part III
          Purser Hull's Safe
          Dement Trunk Part III
          Ship Hardware Part II: Wood & Decorative
          Passenger Items Part III
          Jewelry Part III
          Gold Room Part III feat. Alsop Treasure Box & PMSS Tag

Sunday, March 5th, 2023, Sections 4 & 5   
     Section 4: Lots 4000-4080
          Dining Room
          Jewelry Part IV
          Easton Trunk Part IV feat. the Easton Complete Outfit
          Dement Trunk Part IV
          Passenger Items Part IV
          Gold Room Part IV feat. Gold Mexican 8 Escudo
    
     Section 5: Lots 5000-5082
          Easton Trunk Part V
          Gold Room Part V feat. the Kellogg & Humbert Gold Ingot
          US Mail Steamship
          Passenger Items Part V
          Ship Hardware Part III: Metallic
          Dement Trunk Part V
          Jewelry Part V
          Finale feat. the Ship’s Model and Nemo ROV
SHIPPING & HANDLING: The customer is responsible for all shipping and packaging charges. We offer shipping service as a convenience to our buyers. Items are not shipped until the invoice and shipping charges are completely paid. Shipping costs will be calculated and billed separately after your items have been paid for. Purchases will be shipped via our approved, insured carriers: FedEx, UPS, USPS or DHL. Pick up is available from our Reno office, once you have received your invoice post auction
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Cigars, 2, SS Central America Treasure [161672]5068 - Cigars, 2, SS Central America Treasure [161672]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
2 cigars, wrappers partially intact. About 4.5x.5". Provenance: SS Central America Collection
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 100.00 - 500.00
Sold to D********n for (550.00 + 110.00BP) = 660.00
 
Details...Bookmark
Men's Clothing, Dement Trunk, SS Central America Treasure [161751]5069 - Men's Clothing, Dement Trunk, SS Central America Treasure [161751]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
3 articles recovered from the John Dement trunk found at the S.S. Central America shipwreck. 1.) Men's pleated shirt. 22" sleeve inseam, 34...
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 600.00 - 6,000.00
Sold to d*******f for (300.00 + 0.00BP) = 300.00
 
Details...Bookmark
Clothing Duo, from the Dement Trunk, SS Central America Treasure [161757]5070 - Clothing Duo, from the Dement Trunk, SS Central America Treasure [161757]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
3 articles recovered from the Dement trunk found at the S.S. Central America shipwreck. 1.) Triangular silk scarf with significant degradation, about
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 400.00 - 2,000.00
Sold to 8********l.. for (375.00 + 0.00BP) = 375.00
 
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Men's Outfit, Dement Trunk, SS Central America Treasure [161761]5071 - Men's Outfit, Dement Trunk, SS Central America Treasure [161761]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
3 articles of clothing recovered from the John Dement trunk found at the S.S. Central America shipwreck. 1.) Brooks Bros. wool work shirt. Brooks Brot
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 600.00 - 4,000.00
Sold to H**********9 for (2,300.00 + 460.00BP) = 2,760.00
 
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Gold Wire-Rim Spectacles, S.S. Central America treasure [146610]5072 - Gold Wire-Rim Spectacles, S.S. Central America treasure [146610]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Intact and fully functional pair of gold wire-rim spectacles recovered from the S.S. Central America shipwreck. They are 4-1/8 inches wide between the
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 1,000.00 - 2,000.00
Sold to Q*b for (11,500.00 + 2,300.00BP) = 13,800.00
 
Details...Bookmark
Gold Cufflinks, One Set, S.S. Central America treasure. [146632]5073 - Gold Cufflinks, One Set, S.S. Central America treasure. [146632]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
One set of gold cufflinks recovered from the S.S. Central America shipwreck debris field in 2014. Each piece is made as a gold base with a gold orname
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 2,000.00 - 10,000.00
Sold to F********e.. for (10,000.00 + 2,000.00BP) = 12,000.00
 
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Gold Nugget Stickpin, S.S. Central America treasure [146613]5074 - Gold Nugget Stickpin, S.S. Central America treasure [146613]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Stickpin made of a single gold nugget, 13 x 10 mm, 4.1 grams (0.13 ozt). Pin is firmly attached, and the overall length is 44 mm. Pin shaft has spiral
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 1,000.00 - 5,000.00
Sold to B*****n for (3,400.00 + 680.00BP) = 4,080.00
 
Details...Bookmark
Gold Ring, Blank Rectangular Panel, S.S. Central America treasure [149450]5075 - Gold Ring, Blank Rectangular Panel, S.S. Central America treasure [149450]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Small gold ring, size 2.0, with a blank space at the head for engraving. The shoulders are textured to resemble raw gold nuggets, 0.85 grams (0.027 oz
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 1,000.00 - 5,000.00
Sold to L********e.. for (3,200.00 + 640.00BP) = 3,840.00
 
Details...Bookmark
Gold Watch Case, Rose Engine Lathe Patterns, Guilloche w/ Chimera Hallmark SSCA Treasure [149458]5076 - Gold Watch Case, Rose Engine Lathe Patterns, Guilloche w/ Chimera Hallmark SSCA Treasure [149458]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Gold Watch Case, Rose Engine Lathe Patterns, 47mm diameter, front and back. Contents dissolved in the seawater. Very fancy machine patterns, probably
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 5,000.00 - 20,000.00
Sold to H**********9 for (12,500.00 + 2,500.00BP) = 15,000.00
 
Details...Bookmark
Gold Ring - Engraved: Carlo, S.S. Central America treasure [152375]5077 - Gold Ring - Engraved: Carlo, S.S. Central America treasure [152375]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Gold ring engraved with // Carlo //, 9.27 grams (0.298 ozt). Recovered in 2014 from an unspecified Coin Pile in the port side debris field. FRED LO
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 1,000.00 - 5,000.00
Sold to F********e.. for (4,200.00 + 840.00BP) = 5,040.00
 
Details...Bookmark
Crystalline Gold Brooch with White Quartz Inclusions, S.S. Central America treasure [146615]5078 - Crystalline Gold Brooch with White Quartz Inclusions, S.S. Central America treasure [146615]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Brooch made of a crystalline gold , 22 x 13 mm, 7.7 grams (0.24 ozt). The 22 mm pin was originally attached to a gold hinge onto the back, but the hin
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 1,000.00 - 3,000.00
Sold to t********l.. for (5,500.00 + 1,100.00BP) = 6,600.00
 
Details...Bookmark
Gold Ring, Interlocking Pieces with "Hands" Clasp, S.S. Central America treasure [152389]5079 - Gold Ring, Interlocking Pieces with "Hands" Clasp, S.S. Central America treasure [152389]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Six interlocking rings that, when properly assembled, are locked together by two overlapping golden hands. It is approximately size 6, 11.08 grams (0.
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 1,000.00 - 5,000.00
Sold to E********s for (6,750.00 + 1,350.00BP) = 8,100.00
 
Details...Bookmark
S.S. George Law Drawings on Mylar (2) [159114]5080 - S.S. George Law Drawings on Mylar (2) [159114]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Two drawings on heavy translucent mylar of the S.S. George Law drawn by Cedrick Ridgely-Nevitt, author of American Steamships on the Atlantic, publish
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 500.00 - 1,000.00
Sold to L********e.. for (1,500.00 + 300.00BP) = 1,800.00
 
Details...Bookmark
S.S. Central America, Scale Model, 3/16" : 1' [158989]5081 - S.S. Central America, Scale Model, 3/16" : 1' [158989]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Beautiful scale model of the S.S. Central America. The model itself is 57 x 11.8 x 25 inches, the case and its wood base, is 65 x 17 x 29 inches. The
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 5,000.00 - 20,000.00
Sold to L********e.. for (42,000.00 + 8,400.00BP) = 50,400.00
 
Details...Bookmark
Nemo, Underwater ROV Recovery Vehicle of the SS Central America Gold & Artifacts [158990]5082 - Nemo, Underwater ROV Recovery Vehicle of the SS Central America Gold & Artifacts [158990]
Holabird Western Americana Collections
Nemo is the underwater, remotely operated vehicle (ROV) invented and built by a team of engineers with the expressed purpose of recovering the gold fr
Bidding Has Concluded
Estimate : 20,000.00 - 150,000.00
Sold to Q*b for (36,000.00 + 7,200.00BP) = 43,200.00
 
Details...Bookmark