Reno, NV, USA, August 18, 2023 -- Holabird Western Americana Collections will bid farewell to summer with a premier four-day “Raise a Glass to Yesteryear” auction Thursday thru Sunday, August 24th-27th, online and live in the Reno gallery located at 3555 Airway Drive. Start times all four days are 8 am Pacific time. Online bidding is via iCollector.com, LiveAuctioneers.com and Invaluable.com.
Lots with lofty pre-sale estimates include a magnificent sculpture of the Chinese goddess Guan Yin by Zhang Lizi; a 1787 land deed signed by Benjamin Franklin for “Powersburg”; a color 1860s lithograph of the burgeoning Comstock gold mines of Nevada by African-American artist Grafton T. Brown; and a beautiful leather beaded Miller Bros. 101 Ranch performer’s gun belt.
Day 1, on Thursday, August 24th, will feature art and artifacts from around the world, to include paintings, prints, Native American artifacts, sculptures, textiles, boxwood root sculptures and viewing stones; display minerals and fossils, to include calcite, fluorite, mineral groups and quartz; and stocks and bonds, to include mining, railroad, petroliana and other subject matter.
The sculpture by Zhang Lizi, titled Nine Dragons of Guangxi, is a representation of the Chinese goddess Guan Yin, the bodhisattva, or goddess of mercy and compassion. This amazing work of art, carved in 1989, was produced from a single piece of camphor tree root and stands 8 feet tall, 6 feet wide and is 2 ½ feet from front to back. It carries a pre-sale estimate of $30,000-$50,000.
A rare stock certificate for the Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, large at 19 inches by 24 inches and featuring graphics of the U.S. Capitol, Indians, Native Americans, gold miners and Colonial legends, should bring $2,000-$4,000. Also, a green stone sculpture by Zimbabwe artist Maikosa-Kanyeredza, depicting a man with his hands tucked under his chin, 26 inches by 13 inches, weighing over 100 pounds, engraved on the base, is expected to reach $1,500-$3,000.
Also up for bid on Day 1 is a very large and gorgeous fluorite specimen, light purple to green on calcite in color, boasting abundant beautiful cubes, 16 inches by 9 inches (est. $2,000-$3,000).
Day 2, on Friday, August 25th, will contain general Americana, to include antiquarian books, transportation, ephemera, autographs and photographs; mining collectibles, to include mining equipment, ore specimens and ephemera; and tools. Nearly 500 lots will come up for auction.
The 30 inch by 30 inch land deed signed by Benjamin Franklin on April 11, 1787 was for 282 acres of land known as “Powersburg” in Pennsylvania (est. $25,000-$50,000). The deed mentions the land “from the late purchase” (the land recently purchased from the Indians). A royalty of one one-fifth of the minerals produced was due the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The original large format color lithograph by African-American artist Grafton T. Brown shows different views of the Comstock in 1864 – birds eye views of Virginia City in the Nevada Territory. The artist writes that his artwork has been “drawn from nature by Grafton T. Brown.” The 41 inch by 30 inch litho is beautifully and professionally framed (est. $25,000-$45,000).
Also sold on Day 2 will be a document of pledges signed by the United Merchants of Austin, Nevada for a “Sack of Flour” auctioned for the U.S. Sanitary Fund (the Civil War forerunner of the American Red Cross) by Reuel Colt Gridley, dated April 20, 1864, along with a billhead from his store and a carte de visite of Gridley (est. $10,000-$17,000); and a hardcover edition of J. H. Colton’s Map of the Southern States, with cities, towns and railroads (est. $3,000-$5,000).
Day 3, on Saturday, August 26th, will feature bottles; saloon, brewery and a beer tray collection; gaming; cowboy collectibles; railroadiana; military memorabilia; firearms and weaponry; license plates; signs; and general collectibles, to include toys, musical items, furnishings and other items.
The intricately beaded leather gun belt and two pistol holsters were most likely worn by a Native American performer in a Miller Bros. Wild West show at the 101 Ranch, near Stillwater, Okla. It has a pre-sale estimate of $20,000-$50,000. The belt has been wonderfully preserved in a 31 inch by 53 ½ inch wooden frame with brads around the edges that spell out “Miller Bros. 101 Ranch”.
A Portuguese bronze hand cannon dating back to around the 1600s, overall 21 inches with a touch-hole for an ignition point, is estimated to hit the mark for $7,000-$10,000. At .70 caliber, the cannon would be an effective deterrent against boarding pirates or enemy sailors. The 7-inch handle is used to aim the piece. It comes equipped with a swivel to mount the cannon on the rail.
An aqua colored, circa 1870-1890 soda bottle from James Talbot, one of the pioneering soda water manufacturers in Nevada (“J.T. / Elko / Nev.”), with an applied top and striking large bold letters in the Western style, should realize $4,000-$6,000. Also, an original one-sided metal sign for Wunder Brewing Company (San Francisco), with strong color, should make $1,000-$2,000.
Day 4, on Sunday, August 27th, will highlight philatelic items, to include postal history, postcards, stamps, Wells Fargo and Express; numismatics, to include bullion, coins, “potty” coins, U.S. Mint sets, fractional currency, foreign coins, ingots, assay and medals; and tokens.
Two mint state $25 gold eagle U.S. coins (1994 and 2008), each one-half ounce of fine gold, will be sold as one lot (est. $3,000-$5,000). Also, a collection of five different denomination “potty” coins, where Lady Liberty is depicted sitting on the commode (including an 1891 dime, an 1854 half-dollar, an 1859-O dollar and an 1878-S trade dollar) is expected to ring up $1,000-$2,000.
A rare brass token for Col. F. M. Rickey’s Hotel having a dug and dark patina (“At Co. F. M. Rickey’s / Hotek / Markleeville, Cal. / GF / One Drink”), is estimated to hit $1,000-$3,000; while an 1877 Italian stamp, 20 cents, orange fresh mint with original gum (#36, Scott, $4,000), one of numerous items in the sale from the Gary Bracken collection, should hit $2,000-$4,000.
In addition to live and Internet bidding, telephone and absentee bids will also be accepted. Color catalogs are available by calling 1-844-492-2766, or 775-851-1859.
Anyone owning a collection that might fit into a Holabird Western Americana Collections auction is encouraged to get in touch. The firm travels throughout the U.S., to see and pick up collections. The company has agents all over America and will travel to inspect most collections.
To learn more about Holabird Western Americana Collections, and the four-day “Raise a Glass to Yesteryear” auction, August 24th, 25th, 26th and 27th, at 8 am Pacific time each day, please visit www.holabirdamericana.com.
About Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC:
Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC is always seeking new and major collections to bring to market. It prides itself as being a major source for selling Americana at the best prices obtainable, having sold more than any other similar company in the past decade alone. The firm will have its entire sales database online soon, at no cost – nearly 200,000 lots sold since 2014. To consign a single piece or a collection, you may call Fred Holabird at 775-851-1859 or 844-492-2766; or, you can send an e-mail to fredholabird@gmail.com. To learn more about Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC, please visit www.holabirdamericana.com.
