KOLBE & FANNING BALTIMORE SALE #137 PRICES REALIZED

Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers conducted a public auction of important numismatic books on November 1, 2014 in Baltimore, Maryland in conjunction with the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Expo at the Baltimore Convention Center. The sale was a resounding success, bringing over 110% of estimate and setting some new records for prices.

The sale featured the outstanding library of a Journeyman Numismatist and other properties, and focused on early American numismatics and closely related foreign areas. Some highlights included the following (all prices are hammer prices):

--An extraordinary 31 different plated Chapman sales, some of which commanded exceptional prices, including: the H.P. Smith sale (lot 34 at $3500), the George H. Earle sale (lot 42 at $4000) and the Bascom & Brown sale (lot 47 at $4750).

--No fewer than 10 plated Thomas Elder catalogues, including Lyman Low’s copy of the 1917 Carlton sale (lot 93 at $3500), the Hewitt & Bartlett sale (lot 94 at $3750), the 1920 Miller sale (lot 96 at $5500), and the McMullin sale (lot 97 at $3500).

--Abe Kosoff’s hugely important archives on the Josiah Lilly collection and the controversy surrounding its acquisition by the United States as part of the National Numismatic Collection (lot 124), which brought $15,000 to an overseas bidder.

--Lot 149, the breathtaking original photographic paste-ups of the plates for the 1975 EAC sale, featuring the fabled collection of Connecticut coppers formed by Q. David Bowers, which sold for $8500.

--A rare plated copy of Wayte Raymond’s 1925 W.W.C. Wilson sale (lot 151), sold for a strong $8000, with a copy of the 1926 Wilson II sale (lot 153) bringing an extraordinary $1500.

--An illustrated notebook prepared by Edgar H. Adams covering Connecticut, New York, Vermont and Confederatio coppers and the coinage of William Wood, and a second one covering Massachusetts silver and copper coins, which sold for $6500 and $7500, respectively.

--George H. Clapp’s very rare suite of photographs titled Type Set of United States Cents 1793-1857 (lot 59), which sold for $3500.

--A first edition Crosby with both the 1873 and 1875 title pages, as well as the Maris Woodburytype plate and other special content bound in (lot 78), which sold for $3750.

--Strobridge’s 1873 Descriptive Catalogue of the Seavey Collection of American Coins (lot 186), sold for $3750.

--Catalogues by W. Elliot Woodward were in especially strong demand, with Charles Nichol’s exceptional copy of the Mickley sale (lot 202) selling for $2200, a plated copy of the 1884 Ely sale (lot 206) bringing $1700, the 1884 Levick sale with plates (lot 207) bringing $2600, and the rare 1886 Twining sale with plates (lot 211) selling for an extraordinary $3000 on a $300 estimate.

The sale was the first public auction conducted by the firm in conjunction with the Whitman Baltimore show, and the response from all parties involved was very positive. Live internet bidding was provided through Kolbe & Fanning’s live auction site managed by icollector.com, and ran smoothly. The catalogue and prices realized list can be accessed on the Kolbe & Fanning website at www.numislit.com.

While, as usual, our established clientele actively participated in the sale, it must be noted that this auction attracted very strong bidding from a new generation of numismatic collectors, dealers and bibliophiles. The classics of American numismatic numismatics in nearly all instances brought prices commensurate with their desirability, and demand for rare and desirable American auction sale catalogues and standard works appears to be boldly entering a new era.

We wish to thank everyone who participated and we look forward to 2015.

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