SELECTIONS FROM THE STACK'S BOWERS 2014 BALTIMORE SALE

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V17 2014 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 17, Number 42, October 12, 2014, Article 25

Yesterday I received a copy of the catalog for the Stack's Bowers Baltimore currency sale. Here are several lots that caught my eye. -Editor

Armstrong Academy, Indian Territory. National Treasurer of the Choctaw Nation. March 1, 1863 Reissued 1865. $5 Choctaw Treasury Warrant. About Very Fine. Very Rare Choctaw Nation Reissued 1865 $5 Note

(Haxby-Not listed; Shull Cr.CHOC04, listed as Rarity-10; Burgett-4). Uniface. Printed on ‘’peach or pink’’ rag paper. Typeset within plain frame lines. Left end with floral repeating pattern. Similar to 1987 Ball-Richmond Sale: Lot 1098. The type not in Ford XX (had an example that was not reissued. Serial 52, Series 1. Written issuance and back countersigned by Allen Wright and reissued in 1865 with 5% interest. Rarer reissued type from the Act of 1865, Shull estimates 5-15 known. A great rarity reissued and not in Ford’s Collection. The Shull rarity rating might be conservative and considered the second rarest denomination from the series.

Some perspective is in order about evaluating the very rare and historic Confederate era notes. At the time of the Ball-Richmond Sale in 1987, notes from this series were estimated in $1,000-$2,000 range at a time when rare proofs were estimated $200-$300. Nowadays, those proofs routinely sell for five to ten times those seemingly ancient days. We have always considered the Confederate era Indian Territory rarities to be undervalued. Many of the greatest paper money collectors of all time greatly appreciated them such as Amon Carter, the Schingoethe’s, Maurice Burgett, Eric Newman, and others.

To view the complete lot description, see: Armstrong Academy, Indian Territory (www.stacksbowers.com/BrowseAuctions/LotDetail/tabid/227/
AuctionID/6039/Lot/2202/Default.aspx)

John F. Beazell United States Counterfeit Detector. 1867. Vignette Broadside by Continental Bank Note Co. and Original Book. Very Fine.

A significant and handsome pairing of security printing history pieces featuring superb Continental Bank Note Company vignettes engraved and printed to a uniface broadside, but with the original accompanying book by John F. Beazell. The book is much rarer than the large quarto detection broadside and first we have catalogued.

The pair includes; 1) Intaglio printed and titled broadside which was once tipped into an original book. 220mm by 320mm. Full titles and imprint. Four vignettes, four portraits, and seven dies or counters. Numbered 22013. Choice Very Fine with pencil notations at the upper left. 2) 1867 John F. Beazell original book ‘’UNITED STATES COUNTERFEIT DETECTOR –THE INSTANTANEOUS DETECTION OF ALL COUNTERFEIT PAPER MONEY, FROM Five cents Up to Five Thousand Dollar Bond’’. Octavo. Tan paper with vignette of eagle and drum. 16pp.

Fr. 346e Type. 1891 $1000 Silver Certificate. Face Proof. PCGS Choice About New 58. Illustrious $1,000 "Marcy" Silver Certificate Design

No plate letter. Printed on India paper, mounted on card stock. Imprint of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing lower left border. Black and white portions of the face only. Center, extremely intricate titles with ornate “S” within larger circular die, below the written denomination within a guilloche. Left end, Peace cradles sword to her chest with 1000 counter on shield. Right end, different portrait of Wm. L. Marcy than used on the 1878/1880 series within a panel. Engraved signatures. Very similar to Hessler 1411, page 95.

A stunning execution of Federal currency engraving. When this face plate was used for a modern BEP souvenir card, it was very well received. There are only two known issued notes of the type with the one collectible example being sold privately by us for $2.6 million. We are uncertain of the pedigree of the Hessler Plate note, but we presume this face proof is exceedingly rare. We sold another proof example on wide margin paper with perforations that brought an impressive $111,625 as lot 2201 in our August 2014 ANA sale. An exceptional showpiece and a design that will likely never see the auction block in issued form in a lifetime.

To view the complete lot description, see: Fr. 346e Type. 1891 $1000 Silver Certificate (www.stacksbowers.com/BrowseAuctions/LotDetail/tabid/227/
AuctionID/6039/Lot/2390/Default.aspx)

Fr. 1220. 1922 $1000 Gold Certificate. PMG Very Fine 25 Net. Repaired, Small Tears. Scarce 1922 $1,000 Gold Certificate

This stunning design shows a portrait vignette of Hamilton at center, gold overprints at left and right, with "$1,000" under-print at left and Treasury seal at right.

To view the complete lot description, see: Fr. 1220. 1922 $1000 Gold Certificate. (www.stacksbowers.com/BrowseAuctions/LotDetail/tabid/227/
AuctionID/6039/Lot/2444/Default.aspx)

Fr. 2169-E*. 1981 $100 Federal Reserve Star Note. Richmond. PMG Choice About Uncirculated 58 Net. Offset Printing Error. An impressive full back to front offset error is displayed on this lightly handled $100 Replacement Note. The offset is quite bold with deep green color displayed on the face.

Albany, New York. City of Albany. 50 Cents. April 17, 1815. Fine. Harris 72. No imprint. "FIFTY CENTS" in left and right panels. Large 50 at center. Black print. Rarity 7 in Harris. Solid paper for the grade. Minor damage in bottom margin. Seen just a few times over the last 10 years or so.