RENO, NEV.- A Carson City (Nev.) Branch Mint Troemmer special bullion balance scale used from 1870-1893 sold for $62,500 to take overall top lot honors at massive, seven-day Autumn Gold Auction held November 21st thru 27th by Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC, online and live in the Reno gallery. Over 4,300 lots in many categories came under the gavel.

The 31-inch-tall special bullion balance scale was built into a waist-high table for ease of use at the Carson City Branch Mint. The set, which came with two framed signs, was on display at the Nugget Casino in Nevada for about 70 years. It was the most important numismatic artifact to surface in decades, and surpassed its $50,000 pre-sale high estimate, to the surprise of no one.

The auction featured a broad selection of unique items and rare collectibles that included numismatics, gold, minerals, fine art, antique furniture, political memorabilia, philatelic, jewelry, toys, tokens, medals and more. It was a hybrid sale of sorts. The first four days were held online and live in Holabird’s gallery. The last three days were an online-only, automated timed auction.

“This was one of our largest auctions to date,” said Fred Holabird, the president and owner of Holabird Western Americana Collections. As for what was up for bid, Mr. Holabird said there was “just about everything imaginable. You name it, we probably had it in one form or another.”

Following are additional highlights from the seven-day colossus, presented in order of higher to lower prices realized. All prices quoted include an 18 percent buyer’s premium. Internet bidding was facilitated by iCollector.com, Invaluable.com, Auctionzip.com and LiveAuctionbeers.com.



An authentic Tiffany Studios (N.Y.) three-bulb table lamp with a 16-inch diameter Favrile leaded glass Acorn design shade and gilt bronze base, 22 inches in height, brought $18,750.



A placer gold and quartz nugget discovered in Wright Creek, about 20 kilometers east of Atlin, British Columbia, weighing 5.96 troy ounces and 90 percent gold, changed hands for $16,875.



A solid silver pig presented to John Ascuaga of the Nugget Casino and Resort in Sparks, Nevada, for his involvement in the 25th Nugget Rib Cookoff of 2013, weighing 102 troy oz., hit $9,062.



A rare and uncirculated 1865 $500 Confederate currency banknote (Florida, CR 44), a key issue in the Florida Civil War State Note series, one of only 380 printed, rated R7, realized $9,375.

An exceptionally rare Kelly miner’s candlestick, 11 ½ inches long and manufactured in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1909, one of only a few known, in nice condition, commanded $6,875.



A Spanish 2 Escudos 22k gold doubloon coin minted in Seville during the reign of King Phillip II (1556-1598), 25mm diameter, on a 20-inch 14k gold link chain, found a new home for $6,562.

A placer gold in quartz specimen from Caribou Creek, Alaska with beautiful gold formations, the gold content 90 percent, one side flattened in a crusher, 1 ¾ inches by 1 ½ inches, made $6,562.

A rare territorial token from around 1880 for T. C. Power & Bro., a mercantile company in the northwestern U.S. and Canada, for Fort Maginnis in the Montana Territory, rose to $5,625.



A fine squash blossom necklace expertly crafted in the 1970s by world-renowned Zuni artist Vera Luna, with five large peyote birds adorning each side of the necklace, garnered $5,125.

A cabinet card showing Sioux Chief Rain-In-The-Face, the man who personally killed General George A. Custer as confessed on his deathbed, autographed in pencil by him, fetched $5,000.



A bronze and turquoise turtle sculpture signed on the bottom by North American artist Charles Pratt (b. 1937), titled Turtle Toys, 7 ½ inches long, the eyes made of red coral, went for $4,687.

A collection of 32 documents, all directly relating to the notorious 19th century outlaw Billy the Kid, as well as Pat Garrett, the sheriff who killed him, one signed by Garrett, sold for $3,750.

An 1893-S U.S. Liberty Head $20 gold piece, one of 996,175 minted, MS 62, brought $3,250.

A March 10, 1779 widow’s request for payment by Nancy Jackson of Sandwich, Mass., the widow of a soldier killed in the Revolutionary War, witnessed by the town clerk, fetched $3,250.

A cased set of two Colt Model 1871-1872 open-top revolvers, both .36 caliber and circa 1872, and each with matching numbers and a stagecoach robbery scene on the cylinder, hit $3,125.

An 1863 certificate for two shares of capital stock in the Importing and Exporting Company of Savannah, Georgia, sponsors and operators of Confederate blockade runners, made $3,125.

A carte de visite photo of Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth, signed and inscribed by Booth on the back circa 1859 “to James W. McDerman”, a Baltimore hotel manager, commanded $2,500.

An early territorial postal cover dated Sept. 3, 1862 for Wells Fargo & Company’s Virginia City (Nev.) Pony Express, which used the 10-cent fee to deliver a half-ounce letter, realized $2,250.

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, send an e-mail to fredholabird@gmail.com. To learn more about Holabird Western Americana Collections and its calendar of upcoming events, visit www.holabirdamericana.com.