HISTORIC AMERICAN ARTIFACTS IN NEW YORK CITY AND FORT LEE, N.J. BY ARCHIVES INTERNATIONAL AUCTIONS

The top lot of the sale was an 1865 Mexican Bond signed by General Gaspar Sanchez Ochoa.

FORT LEE, N.J. – An 1865 bond of the Republic of Mexico, signed by General Gaspar Sanchez Ochoa, who was dispatched to the United States by Mexico as a secret agent after that country’s invasion by France in the 1860s, sold for $8,555 in a two-day, two-session auction held Oct. 24th (in New York City) and Oct. 29th (in Fort Lee, New Jersey) by Archives International Auctions.

The bond was the top achiever of the 902 lots that changed hands (out of 1,261 offered, for a 71.5 percent sell-through rate). Sold were U.S. and worldwide banknotes, coins, scripophily, Liberty Loans, Federal bonds, security printing ephemera, a collection of obsolete banknotes, Southern and Confederate bonds consigned by a Southern gentleman, the Arthur Matz collection of modern world banknotes, the Harry Rinker collection of U.S. colonial banknotes and more.

Session I was held Saturday, Oct. 24th, at the Museum of American Finance, located at 48 Wall Street in lower Manhattan, in conjunction with the fifth annual Wall Street Coin, Currency & Collectibles Show with Session II being held on Oct. 29th in Archives International Auctions' offices, at 1580 Lemoine Avenue in Fort Lee, N.J.

“The auction attracted considerable attention and aggressive bidder participation with excellent results and high prices with many areas showing considerable strength,” said Dr. Robert Schwartz, President of Archives International Auctions. “Scripophily (the collecting of stocks and bonds) showed a major improvement from the past three years, while conservatively estimated and priced material sold for strong prices.”

Following are additional highlights from the auction. All prices quoted include an 18 percent buyer’s premium.

The sale began with historic artifacts and objects, highlighted by an 1867 Western Union stock ticker ($5,605); a gold rush-era Currier lithograph with early aviation references ($1,475); a charging bull sculpture by Arturo Di Modica ($1,475); an original aquarelle by Joel Iskowitz, the designer of Congressional gold medals ($3,580); and a “Bad Accident” mechanical bank ($856).

Early whaling-related Hawaiian Bills of Exchange came up for bid, one dated 1836, the second 1858 ($620 and $797, respectively). A large collection of U.S. and worldwide scripophily was offered, with over 475 lots up for bid (318 changed hands, for a sell-through rate of 67 percent).

There were numerous highlights in this portion of the sale, offered over the course of both days, including an early “Dodge Brothers, Inc.” specimen stock certificate driving away for $295; and a large collection of historic proof and specimen banking stock certificates, mostly dating from the 1820’s to the 1860’s. These did exceptionally well, with 37 lots selling out of 42 lots offered.

Foreign bonds and shares included a group of 33 Chinese railroad and government bonds, with all lots selling for between $65 and $620. A Submarine Boat and Torpedo Co. 1889 stock with a unique vignette was torpedoed for $560; a St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad Co. 1872 specimen bond, possibly the only one known, gaveled for $1,298; a Pittsburgh, New Castle and Cleveland Rail Road Co. 1858 stock certificate went to a determined bidder for $442.50; and a Gatling Ordinance Co. 1892 stock certificate from the collection of John Herzog rose to $1,475.

Confederate bonds were led by a $10,000, Cr.#146 that was water and mud stained; it brought $502. A group of U.S. Federal bonds and Liberty Loans came up for bid in the first session, with highlights including a First Liberty Loan converted, 4 ¼% gold bond of 1932-47 (issued in 1918) selling for $5,310; a Liberty Loan bond of 1917, 3 ½% bond of 1932-1947 (issued 1917) topping out at $3,068; and a 1917 Second Liberty Loan $50 issued bond finding a new home for $2,832.

The second session began with 309 lots of worldwide banknotes, 220 of which sold. Highlights included the first offering of the Arthur Matz collection of world banknotes, with virtually all of them selling. These included a Bermuda Government, $50, circa 1960-70’s banknote ($738); a Chile, Banco De La Serena, 10 Pesos specimen ($678.50); and 11 examples of East African Currency Board 20/- or 1 Pound 1955 notes hammering for $1,180 (or a little over $100 each).

An 1880 Ecuador, Banco De Quito, 5 Pesos note, unlisted issued, breezed to $1,180; a Fijian Government Debenture, 1872 note, possibly the finest known, went for $1,534; a National Bank of Greece, 1923 unlisted proof by ABNC, 1000 Drachmai, P-79p, climbed to $1,003; and a Russia, 1917 Russo-Asiatic Bank 100 Rubles proof from Harbin, China, hammered for $2,714.

The Harry Rinker Collection of colonial banknotes totaled 52 lots, with all selling for between $170 and $1,298 each. Obsolete notes included a Newark Banking & Insurance Co., circa 1805, reprinted in the 1850’s ($1,534); three obsoletes from the Bank of Lyons, in Lyons, NY ($502); an 1863 Legal Tender $5, Fr. 63a graded PMG CU 64 ($2,478); and an interesting group of large size national banknotes from Missouri, Pennsylvania and New York (selling as one lot, $1,770).

Archives International’s next big auction is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 23, at their offices in Fort Lee, N.J. Featured will be U.S. and worldwide banknotes, scripophily, coins and security printing ephemera, with one of the highlights being a discovery collection of rare issued Mexican banknotes from the Banco Period (ca. 1870-1913) that has never been on the market previously. AIA will be holding their 7th Chinese & Asian Banknote, Scripophily and Coin auction on April 12th and 13th. All of these will be held at Archives International Auctions’ New Jersey offices.

Check the website for auction updates and viewing times at www.ArchivesInternational.com. The current catalog will be featured online at the Archives International website around Feb. 1st. All past sales can be viewed via Archives International’s live bidding platform or as a virtual catalog or downloadable .pdf. To pre-register for live event bidding, log on to www.ArchivesInternational.com.

Archives International Auctions is always looking for U.S. and worldwide banknotes, coins, stocks, bonds, stamps, postal history, autographs, historic ephemera and documents for future auctions, or to buy outright. To sell or consign one piece or an entire collection, you may call AIA at (201) 944-4800; or you can send them an e-mail, to info@archivesinternational.com. Please contact them if you are looking for exceptional service for your auction or sales needs.

You may write to Archives International Auctions, at 1580 Lemoine Ave., Suite #7, Fort Lee, NJ 07024. To learn more about Archives International Auctions and the upcoming auctions in February and April 2016, please visit www.ArchivesInternational.com. Updates are posted often.