Crosby, Sylvester Sage. The Early Coins of America; and the Laws Governing Their Issue. Comprising also Descriptions of the Washington Pieces, the Anglo-American Tokens, Many Pieces of Unknown Origin of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries and the First Patterns of the United States Mint. Boston. Sylvester S. Crosby. 1875. Fine. Quarto. Hardbound in black half morocco and black cloth. Ruled in gilt along the leather edges. Distinctive Nova Constellatio on the front cover, in gilt. Spine divided into six panels by low-relief bands, each ruled in gilt. The second and fourth panels with the title, author and date in gilt, the others plain. Faint speckled finish around the page ends. Marbled pastedowns and flyleaves. More than 100 woodcut illustrations, 10 heliotype plates and the usual two heliotype foldouts, one with a small tear noted.

As mentioned in the previous lot description, directions to the bookbinder giving proper placement of the 10 plates were included in the printed volume (found opposite the table of contents). In this volume all plates are properly positioned as intended. Minor splitting inside the cover joints, but the volume remains tight otherwise. Some central pages with a corner bump at the bottom.

A distinctive and desirable binding for this classic numismatic work, a reference with more than a century of useful lifespan. Considered one of the finest American numismatic references and necessary for any working library. This example has a nice provenance to G.T. McCombe, whose faint stamp is noted on the front flyleaf. McCombe of Lockport, New York, advertised as a coin dealer, circa 1881. A collection was sold at auction under his own name by Charles Steigerwalt in January 1883. He was likely the original purchaser of this volume from Crosby. Also included in this is a tipped-in copy of Crosby's own October 1874 announcement that what had been intended as a 10-part series would require an 11th, for the extra cost of $1. There are also two additional small plates of obverses and reverses of eight coins, and a page illustrating and describing the 1783 Nova Constellatio patterns.

Ex G.T. McCombe, circa 1881; Charles M. Johnson (a named consignor to Bowers and Ruddy's February 1978 sale); George Frederick Kolbe, June 2006, lot 25.

S.H. and H. Chapman. The first four large-format plated catalogs handsomely bound into one volume. Very Fine. Quarto. Hardbound in green full morocco that has largely faded to soft brown on the spine and front cover. Lettered in gilt on the cover and spine, with the likely original owner's name, Samuel Shoemaker, similarly applied at the foot of the spine. Thin gilt fillets around both covers, the inner ones with square accents at the corners. Spine with five raised bands separating it into six panels, five of which are ornamented in thin gilt borders with floral sprays at the corners. The remaining panel (second from top) lettered in gilt with the collection names. Page ends are full gilt. Inside covers feature marbled paper pastedowns, and matching flyleaves and gilt dentelles around. Some loosening along the front marbled flyleaf end paper joint. Slight splitting at the foot of the spine and in its joint with the front cover, at the base. Included sales are as follows:

Catalogue of the Celebrated and Valuable Collection of American Coins and Medals of the Late Charles I. Bushnell, Esq. June 20-24, 1882. By Bangs & Co. New York. With 12 plates, and prices realized bound in.

Catalogue of the Very Large and Well-Known Collection of Ancient Greek and Roman, English, Foreign and American Coins and Medals of Thomas Warner, Esq. June 9-14, 1884. By Bangs & Co. New York. With 12 plates, and prices realized bound in.

Catalogue of the Large and Valuable Collection of Ancient, Foreign, English and American Coins and Medals of the Late Thomas Cleneay, Esq. December 9-13, 1890. By Davis & Harvey, Auctioneers. Philadelphia. With 12 plates, and prices realized bound in.

Catalogue of the Magnificent Collection of Coins of the United States formed by the late Richard B. Winsor, Esq. December 16-17, 1895. By Davis & Harvey, Auctioneers. Philadelphia. With 10 plates, and prices realized bound in.

Tissue protector sheets at each plate, throughout, and with fresh interiors and no foxing or other unusual signs of handling. A most handsome volume and a very valuable one for research purposes considering the fine plates and many magnificent properties that graced these very important sales.

Ex Samuel Shoemaker; unknown intermediaries; Harry W. Bass, Jr., George Frederick Kolbe, June 1999, lot 106; George Frederick Kolbe, June 2006, lot 479.

Green, Ben E. The Numismatists' Reference and Check Book. 1926. Third edition, revised by Guttag Brothers. Black leather binding, with gilt lettering on cover, "L. ELIASBERG." Fine. This is the second time we have had the pleasure of offering this small but highly important volume, a key piece of numismatic history documenting the formation of one of the most important collections ever assembled in this country. We present it here, much as we did a decade ago:

Measuring a compact 3.75 by 6.5 inches in size, easy enough to tuck into a pocket, it contains 129 numbered pages listing varieties from half cents to double eagles, plus encased postage stamps, private gold issues, and more. Spaces are provided for a basic checkmark to verify ownership, a column for condition or grade (which Louis Eliasberg filled out with a shorthand numbering system), the date purchased, and the source. Coins from the collection of John M. Clapp, and his successor and son, John H. Clapp, are separately listed with the notation they were purchased in July 1942. This is the famous $100,000 transaction in which he purchased the Clapp Collection intact, brokered by Stack's, and based upon an appraisal made by John Zug, a prominent dealer located in Bowie, Maryland.

Other items are entered individually. For example, an 1873 trade dollar in "condition 1" (Proof) was purchased from S.H. Chapman in 1926, an early acquisition. The price paid is given in code. On the other hand, an 1874-CC trade dollar is described as Fine and valued at $1 when acquired from the Clapp Collection. Among miscellaneous examples, a Proof 1856 Flying Eagle cent was bought from the New York Coin Company in 1927 for $60. In 1927 B. Max Mehl furnished dozens of needed small cents in Uncirculated and Proof grades. The Shield and Liberty nickel series seem to have been purchased en masse, in 1927, while the entry for the 1794 silver dollar seems to suggest that the Clapp Collection specimen replaced another example that had been acquired in 1927.

Among gold dollars, an 1855-O in Very Good was purchased from New Netherlands in September 1940 for $2, and an Extremely Fine 1856-S was acquired from Stack's in December 1941 for $8. The especially rare 1861-D gold dollar in Extremely Fine condition was purchased in September 1943 from the Grinnell Collection, portions of which were being auctioned by B. Max Mehl (although the Mehl name is not mentioned). In contrast, the 1860-S gold dollar, described as Extremely Fine, was purchased from Mehl's auction of the William F. Dunham Collection in June 1941 for $9.75.

Among half eagles, he did not enter his purchase of the famous 1822, but made the notation, "Only three known to exist," and that Stack's had advised him that an example would cost $1,000 to $1,500 if one could be found, this notation probably made in the late 1930s. An 1861-C half eagle is graded as VF and was purchased in March 1941 from Syracuse dealer Barney Bluestone for $9.50. The 1854-O double eagle, described as "practically Uncirculated," was acquired in June 1946 from B. Max Mehl for $220, while at the same time a VF example of 1856-O was acquired from the same source for $210.

Among Territorial coins, an 1860 $10 with a view of Pikes Peak, described as "Good," (probably meaning "nice" rather than a specific grade as understood today) was bought from Mehl in November 1940 for $22. In September 1940 Syracuse Stamp and Coin Company provided a Fine 1849 Mormon $5 for $25.

Notations were kept through the mid-1940s, later supplemented for newer issues of current denominations with index cards and slips of paper tucked among the pages. The book is well used, completely intact with regard to notations and impressions, but with a few loose leaves and scotch tape repairs. One might imagine that Mr. Eliasberg carried it in his pocket during the 1930s and through the mid 1940s, referring to it often and making frequent entries.

The Eliasberg Collection is the finest American cabinet ever formed and sold, with regard to completeness and overall quality, and Mr. Eliasberg used this Green's Checklist as a basis for his goal of completion. The present checklist represents an absolutely unique opportunity to acquire a memento that is, in a word, irreplaceable. It is perhaps the most valuable example of those that survive and an extraordinary record of the formation of this most famous collection. An important artifact for the finest numismatic library. Inspired by the same drive and desire for quality and significance that formulated the landmark Pogue Collections of coins and paper money, D. Brent Pogue acquired this at auction in 2010, for $51,750. It is arguably one of the most important numismatic inventories ever created and it is indeed a Pogue quality piece of numismatic history.

Ex Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr.; Louis E. Eliasberg, Jr., by descent; our (Stack's) sale featuring selections from the Louis E. Eliasberg, Jr. Estate, March 2010, lot 454.