Huge Sale of Banknotes, Scripophily, Autographs and Historic Ephemera at Archives International Dec. 3-4
- by Michael Stillman
Military appointment signed by President Abraham Lincoln.
Archives International Auctions will be holding their 50th auction sale since opening their doors 11 years ago. This latest auction will run for two days, December 3-4. It is a major auction of material for those who collect rather than horde their money, featuring U.S., Chinese and international banknotes, scripophily, autographs, and security and historic ephemera. Along with banknotes, stocks and bonds, there is a collection of U.S. presidential autographs. A total of 1,150 items will be up for sale.
The first day's sessions will be held on Monday, December 3, at the Collectors Club in New York City. The second day's sale will take place on Tuesday, December 4, across the river at Archives International's offices in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Internet bidding as well as a complete online catalogue is available for those not in the area through Archives International's website at www.archivesinternational.com.
According to Dr. Robert Schwartz, President of Archives International Auctions, "The worldwide banknote market has been exceptionally strong this past year with dozens of price records being set every sale. We do our best to cater to every level of collector and dealer and look forward to celebrating our 50th Milestone Auction with the collecting community with another exciting offering that includes hundreds of worldwide banknotes, scripophily and historic autographs."
For those with an interest in scripophily, stock and bond certificates to the uninitiated, there is a selection of names well known today - Apple Computer, Amazon.com, Berkshire Hathaway, and the New York Stock Exchange itself. If you are looking for something older and more obscure, you will find a 1778 Danish West Indies bond, or an 1845 stock certificate for the Mackinac and Lake Superior Copper Co. of Michigan.
From the autograph collection, the most notable piece is a partly engraved appointment of N. J. Sappington to a military position during the Civil War. It bears the signatures of President Abraham Lincoln and Secretary to War Edwin Stanton. Sappington was later responsible for feeding prisoners of war at the Elmira Prison and lived until 1916. Other signed documents come from James Madison and other presidents.
U.S. banknotes are highlighted by a $3 1850s-1860s note from the Continental Bank of Boston. This one features an unusual illustration on its face - a polar bear attacking three men in a boat. There is the only known uncut pair of banknotes from the 1875 series from the Central Bank of Washington City. One is for $10, the other for $20. They display some intricate artistic depictions, De Soto Discovering the Mississippi, and the Baptism of Pocahontas. There are numerous other notes from places such as Fairbanks, Reno, Memphis, Brea California, and Lovelock Nevada. We are only scratching the surface here.
Then there is a large collection of foreign banknotes. Among the unusual ones is a 2 shilling note "valid only in the boundaries of Camp Seven Internment Camp Hay." It is dated May 1941. The internment camp at Hay, Australia, was used to house both civilian refugees from Europe during the Second World War and prisoners of war. Another surprising item is an 1866 Irish Republic uncut sheet of three $5 notes. The first day's sale ends with 122 lots of rare Chinese and Hong Kong banknotes and Chinese scripophily.
For details about the sale and to view an online catalogue, visit the Archives International Auctions website at www.archivesinternational.com.
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 123. Celebrate 250 Years of Independence with Original Stars and Stripes (1790) Est. $1,400 - $1,700
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 20. Keulen's Spectacular Chart of the World Featuring California as an Island (1728) Est. $12,000 - $15,000
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 42. Schedel's Ancient World Map with Fantastic Humanoid Creatures (1493) Est. $14,000 - $17,000
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 591. Matching Set of 3 Stunning Globe Gores of Eastern Asia from Coronelli's 3.5 Foot Globe (1688) Est. $5,500 - $7,000
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 9. Speed's Popular World Map with Allegorical Representations of the Elements (1651) Est. $14,000 - $17,000
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 168. First Separate Map of Kansas & Nebraska Territories (1854) Est. $5,500 - $7,000
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 43. Only Macrobius Map with Britain Attached to Europe (1515) Est. $800 - $950
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 250. Rare Map of Boston and One of the Earliest Maps of the Revolutionary War (1775) Est. $2,000 - $2,300
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 79. Schenk's Uncommon Map Featuring Two Figurative Title Cartouches (1696) Est. $1,200 - $1,500
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 681. Hand-Colored Image of the Annunciation to the Shepherds (1502) Est. $800 - $950
Sotheby's Book Week 2 June - 9 July
Sotheby’s, June 25: Smith, Adam. The Wealth of Nations, on its 250th anniversary. $180,000 to $250,000.
Sotheby’s, June 17: Fontana, Lucio. Concetto Spaziale. 1967. Leporello en papier doré. Bel exemplaire signé. €4,000 to $€,000.
Sotheby’s, June 25: Fitzgerald, F. Scott. "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past”. $150,000 to $200,000.
Sotheby’s, June 25: Washington, George (as First President). Washington decries “an ostentatious imitation, or mimickry of Royalty” in his Presidency. $250,000 to $500,000.
Sotheby’s, June 17: Lope de Vega. Rare manuscrit autographe signé de la préface dédicatoire de "El Cardenal de Belen" (le cardinal de Bethléem), pièce composée en 1610. €40,000 to €60,000.
Aste Bolaffi, June 17-18: Galileo Galilei. Dialogo sopra i due massimi sistemi del mondo tolemaico, e copernicano. Firenze, 1632
Aste Bolaffi, June 17-18: Saverio Manetti. Storia naturale degli uccelli. Firenze, 1771-76
Aste Bolaffi, June 17-18: Fortunato Depero. Depero futurista. Rovereto, 1927
Aste Bolaffi, June 17-18: Nicolas Visscher. Atlas minor sive totius orbis terrarum contracta delineat ex conatibus. Amsterdam, circa 1649-95
Aste Bolaffi, June 17-18: Andreas Vesalius. Anatomia. Addita nunc. Antiquorum Anatome. Venezia, 1604
Aste Bolaffi, June 17-18: Tristan Tzara and Salvador Dalì. Grains et Issues. Parigi, 1935
June 25, 2026
Doyle, June 25: Houdini's biography, boldly signed. $3,000 to $5,000.
Doyle, June 25: A volume from Abraham Lincoln's library, signed just before heading to Washington for his inauguration. $20,000 to $30,000.
Doyle, June 25: A very early Confederate recruiting manual belonging to the chief commissary in Lee's Army. $600 to $800.
Doyle, June 25: Rare hand-colored lithographs of the life of Napoleon. $20,000 to $30,000.
Doyle, June 25: The "Holster Atlas" of the American Revolution. $5,000 to $8,000.
Doyle, June 25: Jewish ceremonies in fine hand-colored engravings. $7,000 to $10,000.
Doyle, June 25: A very rare work on Turkish military costume. $1,000 to $1,500.
June 25, 2026
Doyle, June 25: The most important illustrated work on the Mexican-American War. $10,000 to $15,000.
Doyle, June 25: The finest illustrated book on Afghanistan. $10,000 to $15,000.
Doyle, June 25: Henry Justice Ford St. George rescues the Princess from the horrible Dragon. $2,000 to $3,000.
Doyle, June 25: A rare work of Prussian Army uniforms under Frederick William II, with exquisite hand-colored engravings. $800 to $1,200.
Doyle, June 25: Lenny Bruce typed letter signed to a Village bohemian during his obscenity trials, with a manuscript note and drawing. $300 to $500.
Doyle, June 25: Schiff's scarce Shanghai Sketchbook. $300 to $500.
Doyle, June 25: The first accurate published representation of the American flag. $2,000 to $4,000.
