SOLD
41,000.00USDto u**************d+ buyer's premium (8,200.00)
This item SOLD at 2023 Mar 04 @ 14:18UTC-8 : PST/AKDT
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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
Large 18 K gold brooch consisting of a buckle-like piece at the top from which hangs a 28 x 24 x 4 mm piece of gold-bearing white quartz set in a hinged mount so the stone can rotate on a horizontal axis to see both sides. Overall length of the brooch is 77 x 48 mm. The presence of the buckle suggests that it may have held a colored ribbon of some sort which then draped behind and below the stone to highlight it. The back of the buckle is engraved "A. Roediger / from his little pupil / Sam Brannan Jr. / California"
This brooch has major significance in California history. Clearly this unique piece was made specifically for California pioneer Sam Brannan for the purpose of giving it to his son, Sam Brannan, Jr. (1845-1931), as a gift for his favorite teacher, incorporating a piece of high grade gold quartz signifying the great California Gold Rush .
Sam Brannan, California's Golden Boy
Fred N. Holabird
According to historian Hubert Bancroft, Sam Brannan (1819-1889) was California's first millionaire. Brannan left New York in 1846 in charge of a ship full of 300. Brannan brought with him his wife Ann and son Sam Jr. (b1845). Mormons escaping persecution after the murder of Joseph Smith in Nauvoo, Illinois. Brannan and crew, with knowledge of the Mexican War, had hoped to overthrow the local Mexican regime at Yerba Buena (later San Francisco), but arrived two days after the feat was accomplished by Mexican War US Navy Captain John Montgomery and others. Brannan had brought with him a printing press, on which he printed the California Star, the first newspaper in California.
Brannan opened a store in Sutter's Fort, the very same store where James Marshall took that first gold nugget in 1848. Within a few days of the discovery, he was off to the mill where he reportedly mined a small bag of gold, then rode around San Francisco, later claiming he was the first to pass the news to the city. The 300 Mormons he had brought into Yerba Buena had added to the thirty families already there (in 18460, and after the news of gold spread, he said there were but seven men left in town, with three hundred taking flight to the gold country. While historical accounts differ, Brannan appears to have levied a "tithe" of sorts on his Mormon brethren at the gold fields. When Brigham Young heard of it, he sent a collector to receive the money, but Brannan refused to hand it over. He was excommunicated as a result.
His biographer, Cal Tech author Milton Balch in 1925 summed it up succinctly: "he was a gambler, and a banker, merchant and hotel owner, importer and exporter, gold digger and real estate speculator."
As the Gold Rush took off, Brannan quickly became active in politics. With law and order in disarray and lacking a good local government, Brannan and others became furious. A band of thieves known as "The Regulators" created a "reign of terror" and were the "Klansmen of their day" according to Balch. Brannan and friends organized the "Argonauts" and they brought down the group. Within a year, Brannan helped form the first Vigilance Committee in 1851, He railed against paying taxes, claiming the government was too corrupt and the money went into pocketbooks, not into public service.
Over time, he became a wealthy real estate magnate.
Brannan was one of the founders of the 1851 San Francisco Vigilance Committee (Member #2.). He, S.E. Woodworth and E. Gorham formed the committee on June 9, 1851 at the California Engine House. It was later reported that he was the first president. That day, about 200 men attended the meeting and signed their names to the constitution of the organization. Within a short period through March, 1852, 716 men had signed up, each at a fee to the organization of $5. Members of the 1851 Committee were among the most influential of the City: John L. Moffat, James King of William, bankers F. Argenti, Palmer, Parrott, and Naglee. Future Comstock millionaire John O. Earl was a member. While Brannan was a founder, he had work to do in the private sector, and did not involve himself in the management of the Vigilance Committee. Woodworth, officially member #1, was very much involved, as was William T. Coleman, a commission merchant and New York shipping magnate. Brannan's first involvement came July 18, when he was a member of the committee approving eight members. Because Woodworth was not part of that group, there exists the possibility that Woodworth asked Brannan to step in in his stead. Brannan did not participate again until Aug 26, 1851 when they approved another group of 6. (see Garnett, P., Papers of the San Francisco Vigilance Committee of 1851, 1910.)
With all of the unrest in San Francisco, Ann and the children left for Geneva, Switzerland in 1854, with enough money to live the highlife. Sam Brannan had become fed-up with local politics, and the overall nature of how San Francisco had turned into a town of drinking, gambling and lawlessness. Brannan probably chose to have his wife and child live in a more calm, sane and better social setting, so he chose Geneva. Here, his son and daughters could thrive in a better social and educational world.
On Nov. 18 1855, Gen. Richardson was shot dead by Charles Cora. The public was outraged, and expressed regrets that the Vigilance Committee had disbanded. Many of the old Vigilance Committee gathered at the Oriental saloon in San Francisco that night. Brannan delivered a speech in support of law being efficiently executed in the efficiency of the trial. The killing of Richardson led to the formation of the Vigilance Committee of 1856. Undoubtedly Brannan was a member of the 1856 Vigilance Committee though no list of members has ever been published. (See Smith, Vigilance Committee of 1856, 1883)
By 1859, Brannan was at a height of popularity and wealth. It seemed he could do no wrong. Having implemented a tremendous vision regarding the growth of San Francisco and utilizing that growth and vision to make himself a financial windfall, Brannan came up with yet another big plan. He purchased a huge tract of land in Napa Valley inclusive of the springs at the north end (today known as Calistoga), His intent was to turn it into another Saratoga Springs--a New York health resort region that was tremendously successful. He poured money into it. He borrowed more. He built distilleries, created new businesses, all the while reportedly imbibing in his own products a bit "too much." He may have had a fling with actress Lola Montez, who reporters thought bled his pocketbooks dry. His wife divorced him.
All did not go well for Brannan. While he was a successful real estate magnate and wealthy landowner, his drinking and irresponsible business behavior and rumored involvement with Lola Montez caused his marriage to fail. He was forced to pay half of his estate to his wife in cash, forcing complete liquidation of all his holdings. The estate liquidation nearly killed him mentally and physically. In 1860 he moved to remote San Diego County. Roughly a decade later, he sobered up, paid most or all of his debts, but died a poor man in 1889.
This spectacular California gold quartz brooch was undoubtedly made for young Sam Brannan Jr. by his father. It was clearly intended to show off the beauty of the native rock that was making so many people wealthy. It was engraved on the back to celebrate the owner and his lineage.
Sam Brannan, Jr. went to school in Geneva and became a mineralogist and/or mining engineer, working in Mexico his entire career, until the collapse of the international silver market in 1896 broke him financially. He moved back to New York, where he died in 1931 and was buried next to his father.
It does not appear that Sam Jr. ever came back to California to visit his father. A. Roediger, to whom the brooch is dedicated, apparently was a teacher at the school Sam attended in Geneva, and no record of him being in California or the United States has yet been found. Neither of the Brannans was on the S.S. Central America, so this custom piece of gold jewelry was either in transit to Geneva by mail, by an express service, or was being carried by a personal friend of Brannan's to then be shipped from New York or personally delivered to the teacher in Geneva.
Interestingly, Brannan family records indicate that two of the early Brannan biographies were "fiction." Some of the Brannan family papers survive in institutional holdings.
Provenance: SS Central America Collection
Auction Location:
3555 Airway Drive Suite 309, Reno, Nevada, 89511, United States
Previewing Details:
PREVIEW:
Friday, March 3, 2023
Nevada State Sales Tax
Taxes:
| Tax | Rate | Desc. |
| NSST |
8.375% |
Nevada Sales Tax |
| CSST |
8% |
California Sales Tax |
Buyer's Premiums:
| From (Incl.) | To (Excl.) | Premium |
| 0.00 |
Infinite |
20% |
Additional Fees:
Shipping Details:
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, with 24 hours notice given to HWAC prior to pick-up.
Payment Details:
Due on receipt of invoice.
Accepted Payment Methods:
- VISA
- Master Card
- AMEX
- Discover
- Money Order/Bank Draft
- Check/Cheque
- COD (cash on delivery)
- PayPal
- Wire Transfer
Terms & Conditions
S.S. Central America
This is a Live Auction conducted by Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC (HWAC).
1. TERMS and CONDITIONS ACCEPTANCE: THE PLACING OF A BID SHALL CONSTITUTE THE BIDDER’S ACCEPTANCE OF THESE TERMS OF SALE.
2. BUYER’S PREMIUM: There will be a 20% Buyer’s Premium add- ed to the sale price (hammer) of all lots sold in this auction, including NUMISMATICS.
3. SALES TAX: Sales tax may be applied to your purchases accord- ing to individual states’ current tax laws regarding Internet sales. In some cases, the sales tax is applied and collected by the Internet auc- tion platform and remitted by them to the appropriate tax jurisdiction. Please check your state’s tax regulations. HWAC will charge sales tax for those states that we know have instituted Internet sales tax and is not collected by the Internet platform. All bonafide resale dealers with a current valid resale license must submit their license in advance to HWAC or Live Auctioneers. Sales tax will be charged unless that certificate is current. Nevada Sales Tax will be charged if you pick items up at the auction.
4. SHIPPING & HANDLING: The customer is responsible for all shipping and packaging charges. We offer in-house shipping service as a convenience to our buyers. Items are not shipped until the auction invoice, including buyer’s premium and applicable tax- es, 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. Customers are always welcome to arrange for their own shipping. On-site pick up may be available Sunday, Decem- ber 4, 2022, or from our Reno office, starting December 6, 2022, once you have received and paid your post-auction invoice. Please call 24 hours in advance to schedule your pickup date and time. We encour- age you to pick up your items in person because of the fragile nature of the items involved.
5. LIVE (FLOOR) BIDDING: Please arrive early to check in and receive your bidding paddle. Live bidding for lots with more than one bid will open at the current high absentee bid, or 50% of the low esti- mate, or an amount set the Auctioneer’s discretion. Please be sure to bid on the correct lots during the live auction. Our auction progresses at a rate between 50 and 150 lots per hour. An item is not sold until the next lot is announced. (We are not responsible for Internet bids that arrive late.) The Auctioneer will identify the successful bidder by number and announce the winning bid amount. If you are not sure whether you won the lot or not, it is your responsibility to ask for clarification immediately prior to the start of the next auction lot. Auc- tioneer reserves the right to reopen the lot in the case of an immediate dispute at the actual time of the sale. In all cases, it is the Auctioneer who determines the winning bid.
6. TELEPHONE BIDDING: Telephone bidding MUST be sched- uled prior to the current auction. If you do not schedule in advance,
we may be unable to accommodate your request to bid by telephone. We discourage phone bidding on lots less than $500 or on multiple lots that do not accumulate to $500, as this ties up valuable staff time during the auction.
7. LIVE AUCTION ABSENTEE BIDDING: Absentee Bids for the live auction sent to HWAC by surface mail, FAX, e-mail, or delivered in person MUST be received by 5 p.m. Pacific Time the day before the auction. Bids accepted after the cutoff time will be represented live only if an agent is available and will not be considered absentee or given priority as such. It is the bidder’s responsibility to submit all lot numbers and bid amounts accurately. Absentee Bids MUST be equal to at least 50% of the low estimate if an estimate is provided. Bids on “No Lots” or “Withdrawn” Lots will not be executed. Bids made in amounts that do not conform to the Bid Increment Table under Sec- tion 13 will be automatically rounded up or down by the computer or rounded to the nearest proper bid increment at the discretion of the Auctioneer. Absentee Bids are entered into a computer that will bid live on your behalf at the auction. Absentee Bids will compete live against other Absentee Bids, live Internet bidders, floor bidders, and phone bidders.
8. INTERNET BIDDING, REGISTRATION: Internet bidding on multiple online auction platforms is offered as a convenience for those who cannot attend the live sale. Both Absentee and Live Inter- net bidding are available through our live auction networks. Please note that there may be delays or interruptions in Internet connectivity that are beyond our control. Attending the live auction or arranging for an agent is the most reliable way to secure your bids. If there is a tie between a live bid and an absentee bid, priority will be given to the absentee bidder. If you wish to bid LIVE via the Internet, you MUST pre-register on your platform of choice. A live feed is generally accessible during the auction from one or more of the Internet auc- tion platforms. Online bidding remains open through the live auction, and online Absentee Bids may be placed anytime. Please be aware that some auction platforms charge a premium for their services, for which we are not responsible. iCollector does not charge an extra fee to buyers.
9. NEW BIDDERS: Bidders unknown to us, who anticipate an expenditure in excess of $20,000, must provide commercial referenc- es or a deposit of 25% of the amount to be bid in order for the auction staff to execute bids. Deposits will be credited towards lots won and any balance will be refunded within 10 business days after the auction has concluded. New bidders will be given a spending limit at their ini- tial request to participate. To increase this limit, you may be required to provide a letter of authorization from your bank in addition to pro- viding references. Please contact our office at any time if you have questions regarding spending limits or references required to bid.
10. AGENT BIDDING: There are numerous professional agents available to assist you should you require this service. Please contact
the office for a list or to arrange for representation on the floor during the live auction. HWAC is not responsible for any acts or omissions by agents acting on behalf of bidders at our auctions.
11. BE ADVISED: Auction participation through the live Internet bid- ding site is not 100% foolproof. The technology for this process is always changing, and the operation of it and the corresponding Inter- net connectivity issues are far beyond our control. Some folks have attempted to use the live Internet bidding process as their primary method of bidding and have been quite successful. Others have failed completely. Depending upon your computer, server, host, and other factors, Internet signals may be delayed, such that bids may not be received in time. HWAC cannot be held responsible for these delays, or for the lack of placed bids in a timely manner, or any other factors leading to unaccepted bids that are far beyond our control. Bidders should always have a backup plan for lots they highly desire. Live par- ticipation is best, followed by phone participation. We will not reopen lots for missed bids. In all cases, it is the Auctioneer who determines the winning bid.
12. RESERVES: Most of the lots in this auction are unreserved. Pre- cious metals may be reserved at, near, or slightly below spot, at the Auctioneer’s discretion.
13. BIDDING INCREMENTS: All bids must be submitted in whole U.S. dollar amounts and only in the appropriate increments as out- lined in this Section. If you choose to submit bids in an increment not listed below, your bid will be rounded to the nearest increment, and you will be expected to pay the amount to which the bid was rounded should your bid be the winning bid. If you have any questions about an appropriate bid amount, please call us.
From
$10 $100 $200 $500 $1,500 $3,500 $10,000 $30,000 $50,000
To
Increment
$95 $5 $190 $10 $475 $25
$1,450 $50 $3,400 $100 $9,750 $250
$29,500 $500
$49,000 and up
$1,000 $2,000
14.AUTOMATIC INCREMENTAL BIDDING: Absentee Bids automatically increase above the highest competing bid by the increments posted in Section 13 up to the maximum bid requested
Page 2
The Ship of Gold
Terms & Conditions
This is a Live Auction conducted by Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC (HWAC).
by the absentee bidder. If the highest competing bid is the same as the Absentee bidder’s maximum bid, the increment cannot be applied, and the competing bid will prevail. Often there can be three or more bidders with the exact same bid amount. The Auctioneer will call for a tie-breaking bid, and if one does not come, the Auctioneer will award the lot randomly. All winning Absentee Bids will be reduced, if neces- sary, to the next bidding increment up from the last competing bid, as long as the minimum bid requirement has been met. For example, if an Absentee bidder submits a maximum bid of $1000 and the next highest competing bid is $250, then the Absentee bidder will win the lot for $275, provided that no other competing bids are received while that lot is open for bidding.
15. BID INFORMATION: Collectors often ask in advance the cur- rent bid amount of a particular lot. We will give out the current com- petitive high absentee bid amount until we close the day before the live auction. You may also view Absentee Bids online at www.hola- birdamericana.com. While we work to update the Absentee Bids as often as necessary, bids received close to the bidding deadline might not be reflected online, and we disclaim any responsibility for any bids made in reliance upon inaccuracies on our website, which may be beyond our control. We do not own any of the live Internet bidding platforms, and thus many aspects of the Internet technology are out of our control.
16. BID CANCELLATION: If you wish to cancel or change a bid after you have submitted your bids to us due to an error, you MUST PHONE us to advise us of this. If you use Live Auctioneers or Invalu- able, you must contact them directly, as we do not have access to cancel bids. Bid cancellations through mail, email, or faxes are not advisable. Errors are easy to make. Please call us if you have any questions on this.
17. FINANCIAL ANTIQUITIES: All stock certificates, checks, warrants, and other financial documents sold herein are sold as antiquities, and have no financial, securities, or public trading value whatsoever.
18. BID REJECTION – BAD FAITH: We reserve the right to reject any bid we feel is not made in good faith.
19. INVOICING: Invoices for auction winnings including hammer price, buyer’s premium, and applicable taxes are mailed or emailed within two business days after the close of all portions of the sale. Payment is due in full to Holabird Western Americana Collections within 15 calendar days of receipt of invoice. Payments made by check or money order are to be sent to 3555 Airway Dr., #308, Reno, NV 89511. Late fees may be added if payment arrangements are not made within those 15 days.
20.PAYMENT: We accept Cash, Visa, Master Card, American Express, Discover, Money Order/Cashier’s Check, Wire Transfer, Per- sonal Check, or PayPal. All returned checks are subject to a $25 fee.
Cash received in amounts greater than $10,000 is subject to the filing requirements of the FinCEN Anti-Money Laundering Regulations as set forth by the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020.
21.AUTOMATIC CREDIT CARD BILLING: Internet bidders are required to provide credit card information in order to bid in the auction. PLEASE NOTE, this implies the bidder’s approval and autho- rization to use that credit card for payment for lots purchased by the bidder during the auction. Some Internet platforms will charge that credit card automatically or allows HWAC to charge your credit card for the invoiced amount. If payment, or payment arrangements, are not received within the stated 15-day period, YOUR CREDIT CARD MAY BE CHARGED. In all cases, we attempt to contact our customers, who have not made arrangements for payment prior to charging their credit card.
22. NON-PAYMENT: HWAC reserves the right to cancel any invoice not paid in full within 15 days. A cancelled invoice does not relieve the bidder from their obligation to pay seller fees and buyer’s premiums compensating HWAC for its services in conducting the auction. Inter- est shall run on all outstanding balances at the highest rate permitted by law. HWAC shall have a lien against the merchandise purchased by the bidder, and any other of bidder’s property then held by HWAC or its affiliates, to secure payment of the invoice, and with respect thereto HWAC shall have all the rights of a secured creditor under the Nevada Commercial Code, including but not limited to the right of sale. HWAC may sell the lot(s) securing the invoice to any under bidders in the auction that the lot(s) appeared, or at subsequent pri- vate or public sale, or relist the lot(s) in a future auction conducted by HWAC. A defaulting bidder agrees to pay for the reasonable costs of resale (including a 10% seller’s commission, if consigned to an auction conducted by HWAC). The defaulting bidder is liable to pay any difference between his or her total original invoice for the lot(s), plus any applicable interest, and the net proceeds for the lot(s) if sold at private sale or the subsequent hammer price of the lot(s) less the 10% seller’s commissions, if sold at an HWAC auction. If HWAC refers any invoice to an attorney for collection, the bidder agrees to pay attorney’s fees, court costs, and other collection costs incurred by HWAC. Any bidder who fails to follow the terms and conditions of the auction or of payment will be reported to iCollector, Live Auctioneers, Invaluable, or other applicable bidding platform, and may be barred from participating in future Holabird Western Americana Collections auctions.
23. LOT CONDITION: We strongly recommend that you attend the live preview to see lots in their entirety. Conditions are not always noted, and large lots may not be itemized due to catalog restraints. For questions, detailed information, or additional images of any lot, please contact our office at 775-851-1859. Bidders are responsible for understanding the condition of items. Conditions noted are subjec- tive and may differ person to person. High resolution images of all
items are available online for inspection. HWAC is not responsible for condition discrepancies; it is the bidder’s responsibility to determine condition prior to bidding. All sales are “where is as is.”
24. RETURN POLICY: All items are guaranteed to be authentic unless otherwise noted. If authenticity is challenged, please call our office for assistance. ALL SALES ARE FINAL. You may only return any piece that was significantly inaccurately described by calling our office within 10 days of receipt of item(s) and notifying us of the error and reason for return. We do not refund postage or insurance. Please call us if you require a more specific condition report. Any items that are returned must be returned in the same exact, unaltered condition in which they were shipped. When we receive your bids, we will assume you have read the item description in the catalog, viewed the available image(s) of the item, have contacted us regarding any questions you may have on any lot and/or have previewed the lot in person.
25. JURISDICTION: This sale is being held under the laws of the State of Nevada.
26. BIDDER RESPONSIBILITY: HWAC shall not be held respon- sible for any problem due to the bidder’s failure to follow the rules, terms, and conditions of this sale, or any failure to bid due to the loss of the online auction process provided by any of the online auction networks, or any missed, changed, or cancelled bids due the bidder’s failure to follow the proper bidding procedure outlined herein.
27. ACCEPTANCE: By placing a bid or otherwise participating in the auction, Bidder accepts these Terms and Conditions, and specifi- cally agrees to the dispute resolution provided herein.
28. DAMAGES: HWAC shall not be responsible for consequential damages, incidental damages, compensatory damages, or any other damages arising or claimed to be arising from the auction on any lot. Bidder’s sole remedy for any proven act or omission shall be rescis- sion of sale and refund of the amount paid by Bidder.
29. DISPUTE RESOLUTION; WAIVER: Any claim, dispute, or controversy in connection with, relating to, and/or arising out of the Auction, participation in the Auction, award of lots, damages of claims to lots, descriptions, condition reports, provenance, estimates, return and warranty rights, any interpretation of these Terms and Condi- tions, any alleged verbal modification of these Terms and Conditions and/or any purported settlement shall be exclusively heard by, and the parties consent to exclusive in personal jurisdiction of, the Superior Court of Washoe County, Nevada. The parties expressly waive any right to trial by jury. Any claim must be brought within one (1) year of the auction from which the claim arose, or the claim is waived. In every case, the prevailing party shall be entitled to an award of its attorney’s fees and costs.