Lot 9024: Unique H. Herring of Fair Mount Token

Maryland--Baltimore. 1834 H. Herring. HT-139, Low-173. Rarity-9. White Metal. Plain Edge. 35 mm. VF-20. Unique! This token is a landmark among Hard Times issues-one of the most famous andone of only a few with this status! Over a long period of decades, great collections have been formed and dispersed without having an example. Donald Miller, Stephen L. Tanenbaum, Donald Partrick,and other great collectors in the series never had a chance to own this. The term "once in a lifetime opportunity" has its very definition here!

To quote from Lyman Low, the master of the Hard Times token series, who wrote this in 1906 in the supplement to his Hard Times Tokens book:

To read the complete lot description, see:
Maryland--Baltimore. 1834 H. Herring. HT-139, Low-173. Rarity-9. White Metal. Plain Edge. 35 mm.(https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-7KK1G)

Lot 950: The Earliest American Dollar-Denominated Token

Extremely Rare Johnson Himrod & Co. $1.00 Token
The Earliest American Dollar-Denominated Token

Pennsylvania--Erie. 1845 Johnson Himrod & Co. Miller-Pa 3. White Metal. 38 mm. MS-61 (NGC).

This is an extreme rarity with an important place in the history of American tokens as the very first token ever struck with a one dollar denomination. An Extremely Fine specimen in our(Stack's) Dice-Hicks sale realized $8,050. Known only in white metal, the "copper-plated white metal" piece illustrated in Rulau is an electrotype. This ranks among the finestknown.

The collecting of early tokens and medals has become a very dynamic part of numismatics in recent years. In the early 20th century various issues were very popular -- much more so than, forexample, collecting Morgan dollars by date and mint. Starting in a large way in the 1930s with popular albums and pages available from Wayte Raymond and Whitman, date and mintmark collecting came tothe fore. Today, this remains the focus of nearly all collectors -- well over a million who are serious and millions more who are casual in their interest. It could not be otherwise, for among earlytokens and medals there are not enough in existence to satisfy a large demand. For the typical "common" Hard Times token, Civil War token, or other early American store card, often thepopulation is fewer than 100 pieces.

To read the complete lot description, see:
Pennsylvania--Erie. 1845 Johnson Himrod & Co. Miller-Pa 3. White Metal. 38 mm.(https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-7KN07)

Lot 9111: Martin Ibert Civil War Token

New York--Brooklyn. Undated (1861-1865) Martin Ibert. Fuld-095C-1g. Rarity-9. Lead. Plain Edge. 19 mm. EF Details--Planchet Flaw (PCGS).

This is a major rarity in this series as there are only two known examples of Fuld-95C-1g, the only type attributed to this merchant. At the time Brooklyn was a separate city, but today it isincorporated as a borough of New York City. Collecting NYC and related tokens has long been a specialty, with Wayte Raymond, for one, spending years building his holdings.

Martin Ibert was born in Baden, Germany in 1861, emigrating from that country to the United States in 1847 with his brother Albert. He became a clerk in Henry Zimmer's store in Brooklyn, andthen worked for A. Saul before opening his own business dealing in flour at the corner of Leonard Street and Montrose Avenue. He later moved his business to Montrose and Graham avenues, as depictedon this token, and in 1889 left the flour business to start a brewing company.

This is the plate token for the obverse die in the third edition of U.S. Civil War Store Cards, the research and graphics triumph of the Civil War Token Society.

To read the complete lot description, see:
New York--Brooklyn. Undated (1861-1865) Martin Ibert. Fuld-095C-1g. Rarity-9. Lead. Plain Edge. 19 mm(https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-7KMKH)

Lot 9116: 1863 Atlantic Garden Token

Fuld NY-630A-1do Atlantic Garden
Overstruck on an 1859 Indian Cent

New York--New York. 1863 Atlantic Garden. Fuld-630A-1do. Rarity-9. Copper-Nickel. Plain Edge. 20 mm--Overstruck on an 1859 Indian Cent--MS-65 (NGC).

The Bowery in lower Manhattan was the center for culture-high as in theaters, low as in gambling dens and ladies of the night. Somewhere in between was the vast Atlantic Garden beer hall at 150Bowery, memorialized on Civil War tokens and famous for two huge orchestrions or automatic orchestras-the first installed in the 1860s and its successor brought after being a sensation at theWorld's Columbian Exposition in 1893. The history of the Atlantic Garden is well documented by Henry B. Dawson (see Historical Magazine, July 1867) and Edgar H. Adams (see TheNumismatist, September 1911). Dave Bowers has also written extensively about this unique establishment. Edgar Adams said in part:

To read the complete lot description, see:
New York--New York. 1863 Atlantic Garden. Fuld-630A-1do. Rarity-9. Copper-Nickel. Plain Edge. 20 mm--Overstruck on an 1859 IndianCent--.. (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-7KKUP)

Lot 11606: 1872 Pattern Amazonian Eagle

Fabled 1872 Pattern Amazonian Eagle
Judd-1246 in Copper

1872 Pattern Amazonian Eagle. Judd-1246, Pollock-1388. Rarity-7-. Copper. Reeded Edge. Proof-64 BN (PCGS). CAC.

Obv: William Barber's celebrated Amazonian design with a bust of Liberty facing left, 13 stars around the border, and the date 1872 below. Liberty is wearing a Phrygian cap inscribedLIBERTY.

Rev: An eagle with spread wings clutches a group of three arrows in its right talon and supports a shield with its left talon. A scroll crossing the shield is inscribed with the motto IN GOD WETRUST. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is above and the denomination TEN DOL. is below. This beautiful near-Gem is vividly toned in a blend of steel-blue and copper-rose colors. Fully struck inall but a couple of isolated areas, both sides are smooth and attractive with a lively satin to semi-reflective finish. This is one of the most famous and eagerly sought designs among U.S. patterncoinage.

To read the complete lot description, see:
1872 Pattern Amazonian Eagle. Judd-1246, Pollock-1388. Rarity-7-. Copper. Reeded Edge. Proof-64 BN (PCGS). CAC(https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-7KRZP)

Lot 11614: Miners' Bank $10 Gold

Undated (1849) Miners' Bank $10 Gold. K-1. Rarity-6. Copper Alloy, Plain Border. MS-65 (NGC).

The firm of Wright & Co., exchange brokers, was located at the corner of Washington and Kearny streets, Portsmouth Square, San Francisco, early in September 1849. On August 7 the firm requestedpermission from local authorities to coin $5 and $10 gold coins, declaring they would be worth as much as Federal issues. Authorization was not granted. In November, Wright & Co. reorganized.Composing the new company were Stephen A. Wright, John Thompson, Samuel W. Haight, and J.C.L. Wadsworth. Known as the Miners' Bank (or Miners/Miner's-punctuation varied), the outfit washoused in a wooden frame structure for which the incredible sum of $75,000 rent per year was paid.

It is believed that the $10 coins were produced in the autumn, apparently before the November 1849 reorganization was completed, for William P. Hoit, assayer of the New Orleans Mint, reported onDecember 13, 1849, that he had assayed a Miners' Bank $10 nearly two months earlier, and that he had found it to be worth only $9.65. Alta California reported this on April 11, 1850: "Theissue of the Miners' Bank is a drug on the market. Brokers refuse to touch it at less than 20 percent discount...." On December 14, 1850, the Miners Bank dissolved. As the Miners Bank $10pieces no longer circulated at par, the pieces in the hands of the public went to bullion dealers at a discount and were melted. Within a few years they were rare.

Provenance: From Numismatic Gallery's (Abe Kosoff and Abner Kreisberg) sale of the "Memorable Collection" (i.e., J.F. Shapiro, a.k.a. J.F. Bell), March 1948, lot 968; RARCOA'ssession of Auction '82, August 1982, lot 989; our (Stack's) sale of the Archangel Collection, November 2006, lot 1076.

To read the complete lot description, see:
Miners' Bank $10 Gold (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-7KRFL)

Lot 11624: 1860 Mormon $5 Uniface Obverse Restrike

1860 Mormon $5. Uniface Obverse Restrike. K-8. Rarity-7. Copper. Plain Edge. MS-64 RB (NGC).

Abundant mint red luster glows amid brown, speck-free surfaces on this near Gem survivor of the unused die of 1860 Mormon $5s. The actual die that struck the 1860 issues in gold had only a largerand more upright reclining lion, whereas this obverse die features the nearly fully reclining lion at the foot of a trio of stylized mountain peaks, undoubtedly representing Salt Lake City at thefoot of the Rocky Mountains. It is thought that this and the other uniface Mormon restrikes in copper were made circa 1898 for promotional use during the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of theMormons' arrival in what became Salt Lake City. This particular pattern is popular not only for its unused design, but also for its use of the short-lived Deseret alphabet to deliver a phoneticrendering of the phrase "Holiness to the Lord". This "restrike" has it all-high quality, rarity, pedigree, a charming unadopted design, and the rare numismatic usage of theDeseret alphabet.

Provenance: From Kagin's circa 2008 Fixed Price List of the Robert Bass Collection of Pioneer Patterns, lot 128.

To read the complete lot description, see:
1860 Mormon $5. Uniface Obverse Restrike. K-8. Rarity-7. Copper. Plain Edge.(https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-7KRB0)

Lot 11632: Confederate Half Dollar Scott Restrike

"1861" (1879) Confederate Half Dollar. Scott Restrike. Breen-8002. AU-55 (NGC).

A richly toned steel gray example with sharp detail to much of the reverse design. Seized by Louisiana when that state seceded from the Union in 1861, the New Orleans Mint eventually passed underthe control of the Confederate States of America. After that happened, Southern authorities made an attempt at coinage that displayed a design distinct to the new Confederacy. Accordingly, four halfdollars were struck combining the familiar Liberty Seated motif of Union coinage with a new reverse design that includes, among other elements, the legend CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA. All four ofthese coins, as well as the reverse die, were retained by Chief Coiner of the New Orleans Mint Dr. B.F. Taylor. The die was eventually obtained by E.B. Mason, Jr. of Philadelphia in 1879 and sold toJohn Walter Scott. Scott and his partner decided to profit from their ownership of the original CSA reverse die by striking and selling a small number of restrikes of the very rare 1861 Confederatehalf dollar.

In order to test the die and determine its suitability for coinage, Scott at first struck 500 tokens using a new obverse die the inscriptions of which provide some information about the original1861 CSA halves. He then proceeded to prepare the actual restrikes. To do so Scott obtained 500 original 1861-O Liberty Seated half dollars, "drilled off" their reverses and restruck thatside using the Confederate reverse die. This process caused more-or-less loss of detail to the obverse design, as evident on the present example.

To read the complete lot description, see:
"1861" (1879) Confederate Half Dollar. Scott Restrike. Breen-8002.(https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-7KTLI)