Auction Details
Welcome to our Western Trails & Treasures Premier Auction, our first auction of 2022!
Our February sale includes items from many important collections, including: the Ron Lerch Western Directory Collection; Joe Elcano Nevada Collection; Ken Prag Railroad Stock Collection; Bill McKivor Mining, Numismatic, & Americana Collection; Stuart MacKenzie Montana Collection; and the Salvatore Falcone Collection, all supplemented by world-class great rarities from other private collections.
Ron Lerch Western Directory Collection Part II
In our December 2021 auction, we began to offer the Ron Lerch Collection of Western Directories, a major historic and all-important reference material collection. And we set world records!
Now we're thrilled to offer the second part of this collection, an exciting group of a few hundred directories. Some of the key pieces in this sale include: Gold Rush-era directories from Nevada City/Grass Valley (1856), Marysville (1853 and 1855), Sacramento, and San Francisco (1854); Truckee & Lake Tahoe (1883 and 1884-85); Placerville (1862) and Placer County (1861); a number of different Sacramento directories; rare railroad directories (Central Pacific 1872 and Northern Pacific Railway 1883); a Portland, Oregon group; California Bay Area; and other Western states including Colorado, Nevada, and Utah, plus a number of very rare multi-county and Pacific Coast 19th-century directories.
Directories are considered “primary source” material, and as such are essential in aspects of historical research!
Joe Elcano Nevada Collection Part II
We're thrilled to continue to sell rare items from Joe Elcano's collection, one of the best Nevada collections we've offered.
This sale features Part II of his Nevada Stock Collection, including a whole new batch of Nevada territorials, plus Joe's Nevada History Libraries. Key Nevada history references include three ultra-rare Nevada directories: 1868-69, 1871, and 1907-08. Joe loved to research the stories behind the historic documents in his collection, and these libraries were invaluable resources for him, as they will be for new Nevada collectors and historians.
We'll begin offering Joe's Nevada Postal History Collection later this year, as well as more rounds of Nevada mining stocks. Stay tuned!
Railroad & Steamer Passes
This sale features over 150 lots of railroad and steamer passes, always a big hit with our collectors! This is one of the largest offerings we've had in years, with pieces coming from five or six private collections. Have your own collection you're considering selling? Contact us!
Numismatics
In addition to more Nevada tokens and medals from the Bill McKivor Collection, our Numismatics section features: a large ingot collection, including an early San Francisco US Mint ingot and mining-related ingots; US & world coins and coin jewelry; medals and so-called dollars; scrip and ephemera incl. a Carson City Mint coin bag; and California tokens.
Stocks/Bonds feat. Railroad Proofs & Specimens
In addition to Nevada mining stocks from the Joe Elcano Collection, our Stocks & Bonds section includes more air, auto, and railroad rarities from Ken Prag's Collection, as well as ultra-rare proof and specimen railroad stocks and bonds from a private collection, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! And don't miss fun groups of stocks we've sorted based on their vignettes and design.
Stuart MacKenzie Montana Collection
The MacKenzie Montana Collection continues, with hundreds of lots of historical Montana documents and ephemera. Included in this sale are rare ledgers and archives from historical Montana businesses and mining companies, plus several hundred checks, including many with imprinted revenue stamps.
General Americana
Our General Americana section is large and diverse, with rare documents, photographs, and ephemera from Western states, as well as sub-categories including Gaming, Bottles & Saloon, Jewelry, Badges, Furnishings (incl. Staffordshire Transferware), and a Musical Instruments section with cellos, violins, and more!
Art
Our Art section includes paintings and prints from artists such as: Craig Sheppard, F.W. Trautwein, Ernest Narjot, G. Harvey, and Thomas Kincaid. Also, beautiful Victorian Era lithographs, Hanna-Barbera animation cells, and more.
Native Americana
Highlights include a Pacific Northwest Totem Pole (15 foot), c1880-1900; Washoe and other baskets; Santo Domingo Pueblo and Randall Blaze pottery; arrowheads; and rare ephemera incl. an 1890s License to Trade with Indians.
Militaria & Political Collectibles
This section features a large group of Civil War and other military knives, plus rare military and political certificates, WWI & II posters, Stanislaw Toegel Anti-Nazi Cartoon Prints, Thomas Mooney Propaganda, political autographs, and more.
Minerals & Mining
Minerals, gems, and fossils, plus mining ephemera incl. Tombstone/Comstock Engraved Steel Anvil Ceremonial Bookends, as well as Montana and Nevada documents and mining publications.
Railroadiana
In addition to railroad and steamer passes and stock certificates & bonds, our Railroadiana section includes badges, lock keys, lanterns, a Carson & Colorado Lock & Key, and rare maps and ephemera.
Bargains & Dealer Specials
Be sure not to miss our Bargains & Dealer section on Day 4, which includes both entry-level priced collectibles and larger groups ideal for resale. Includes General Americana, Stocks & Bonds, and Numismatic goodies!
Make sure to use the Keyword search tool to find items in your collecting areas across the four auction days.
As usual, our team is happy and ready to answer questions. Please feel free to call or email our office.
And please continue to bring us those great collections for 2022! Yours could be the next world record!
--Fred Holabird & Team--
Auction Schedule
Day 1, Thursday, February 24th, 2022 (Lots 1000-1620)
General Americana (1000-1620)
Geographically Sorted (1000-1284)
General Books (1285-1311)
Gaming (1312-1322)
Saloon & Brewing (1323-1357)
Jewelry (1358-1378)
Furnishings (1379-1413)
Musical Instruments & Memorabilia (1414-1448)
Model Train & Car (1449-1472)
Badges (1473-1513)
Miscellaneous (1514-1620)
Day 2, Friday, February 25th, 2022 (Lots 2000-2626)
Stocks & Bonds (2000-2325)
Mining (2000-2133)
Railroad & Transportation (2134-2292)
Misc. (2293-2325)
Numismatics (2326-2626)
Currency, Scrip, & Ephemera (2326-2351)
Ingots & Bullion (2352-2397)
Coins (2398-2483)
Medals (2484-2538)
Tokens (2539-2626)
Day 3, Saturday, February 26th, 2022 (Lots 3000-3596)
Minerals & Mining (3000-3120)
Directories feat. Ron Lerch Collection Part II (3121-3487)
Militaria & Political (3488-3596)
Day 4, Sunday, February 27th, 2022 (Lots 4000-4625)
Art (4000-4074)
Native Americana (4075-4103)
Transportation (RR, Steamer, Auto, Air) (4104-4321)
Railroad & Steamer Passes (4104-4256)
Ephemera & Artifacts (4257-4321)
Bargains & Dealer Specials (4322-4625)
General Americana (4322-4408)
Stocks & Bonds (4409-4541)
Numismatics (4542-4625)