Come March 11, collectors of banknotes, scripophily (the study and collection of stock and bond certificates), and security printing ephemera may be hoping they’ve saved enough of their own contemporary banknotes to bid at Archives International Auctions’ Part XVII sale. Over 1,000 lots of rare and collectible U.S. and world banknotes, stock and bond certificates, and security printing ephemera will be offered on Tuesday the 11th.
Headlining the auction will be selections from the Hamtramck Collection, as well as Part 1 of the Scarsdale Collection. For those unfamiliar, the Hamtramck Collection was assembled by a career military officer over between the 1940s and 1990s, and includes worldwide banknotes, many of which are available to the public for the first time in thirty to fifty years. The Scarsdale Collection features many rare post-1960 modern African high grade notes from countries all over the continent.
From the 600 lot worldwide banknote session, items of note include a Banque de France 1917 Essay Progress Proof by ABNC; three different Ecuador rarities including an 1880, Banco de Quito issued 5 Pesos note that was previously only known as a specifmen or proof; two discovery Argentina notes are offered for the first time, Colonia Ocampo Specimens dated 1888 from BWC that are sure to attract significant interest; a unique Cuba original artwork essay of a 1991 issue banknote will be offered, also from the Bradbury archives; an 1849, $50 Danish West Indies rarity; a rare Pakistan Specimen, 50 Rupees, ca.1978-84 banknote; a rare Qatar & Dubai first issue banknote pair; a Swiss 1954-74, 1000 Francs TDLR specimen.
Of the 600 world banknote lots for sale, 240 come from Scarsdale, many of which are difficult to find today. These include a Serial #“1”, 1951, Banco De Angola banknote; a Republique Centrafricaine, 5000 Francs issued note in PMG 65 EPQ; a pair of Libya, 1951 Specimen notes by TDLR among many others. The remainder of the Scarsdale Collection will be included in Archives’ May 2014 sale.
The U.S. portion of the sale will feature over 120 banknotes as well as security printing ephemera. Some of the items for sale are a Serial # “3” U.S. Postal Note from New Britain, CT dated 1883; 16 lots of Colonial notes including a Delaware, 1776, 10 Shilling Note in AU 58 and a sheet of two 1782 Continental Bills of Exchange signed by Michael Hellegas, the first treasurer of the United States; U.S. obsoletes include a variety of attractive group lots from the “Hamtramck” collection; an 1862, New Orleans, Peterson’s Brass Works; a previously unknown as issued Maine, 1851 Exchange Bank never before offered and an uncut Corn Exchange Bank sheet from Nebraska that is extremely attractive among many other obsolete lots. U.S. type notes include a $10, Fr#122 Legal Tender; a pair of $1 and $2, 1896 Educational notes; an Original Series, 1864, Merchants National Bank of Chicago, Illinois, $10, PMG described “Unlisted Essay” will be offered.
The last session covers Scripophily and contains 300 lots of rare and attractive U.S. and foreign certificates. For beer drinkers, a Pabst Brewing Company, 1889 stock certificate ITASB from Frederick Pabst the year he took over the company might be appealing. For those with their eye on all things Palestine and Israel, an extremely rare if not unique issued 1922 Palestine Foundation Fund donation certificate with a portrait of Theodore Herzl is worth noting. Other scripophily lots include a very attractive ca.1850’s Crescent Mutual Insurance Company of New Orleans stock certificate specimen; a historic 1806, Rensselaer Glass Stock signed by Elisha Jenkins as president; a Submarine Boat and Torpedo Co. 1889 issued stock certificate rarity with a unique vignette and close to 150 lots of railroad issued and specimen bonds and shares with many attractive and rare certificates being offered.
The auction will be conducted live at Archives International Auctions’ offices in Fort Lee, New Jersey, with live or absentee internet bidding. Previews will be held starting Thursday, March 6, until the date of sale, March 11, by appointment. If you plan on live or absentee bidding through the internet, please be sure to pre-register at their website at www.archivesinternational.com. The catalogue is available online for perusal and is also available as a virtual catalogue. A virtual preview of the sale can be found here.
The March 11th event is Archives International Auctions’ 17th auction in its 8-year history, during which time the firm has become synonymous with quality auctions dedicated to U.S. and worldwide banknotes, scripophily, security printing ephemera, coins, historic documents, and other numismatic ephemera. It was chosen 3 years in a row to be auctioneer for the annual Wall Street Coin, Currency & Collectibles Show held at the Museum of American Finance on Wall Street in mid-October and is in the planning of its fourth auction for the Wall Street Show slated for this October, 2014.
AIA is always looking for U.S. and worldwide banknotes, stocks, bonds, stamps, coins, autographs and postal history, from better individual items to large estate collections. To sell or consign an item or a collection, you may write to them at 1580 Lemoine Ave., Suite #7, Fort Lee, NJ 07024; e-mail them at info@archivesinternational.com; or call them at (201) 944-4800.
To learn more about Archives International Auctions and the upcoming slate of auctions in March, April and May, please log on to WWW.ARCHIVESINTERNATIONAL.COM.
