Press Release

Reno, NV, USA, July 30, 2025 -- Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC will take some attention away from the summer heat with a three-day Wild West Wonders auction, Friday thru Sunday, August 8th-10th, online and live in Holabird’s gallery located at 3555 Airway Drive (Suite 308) in Reno. Start times each day will be 8am Pacific Time. It’s a premier auction, packed with 1,737 lots.

The categories are many and will include mining collectibles, numismatics, Native Americana, philatelic, Western Americana, antique stocks and bonds and more. Bids can be placed live and in-person, over the phone with an agent, or online via iCollector.com, LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Auctionzip.com. It’s a fantastic sale, filled with many Americana treasures.

“We’re in our final series of auctions before my official retirement at the end of this year,” said Fred Holabird, the president and owner of Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC. “The August auction will be the penultimate live sale, with one more scheduled for October. We’re calling that one Holabird’s Grand Finale. Consignments must be in no later than September 1st.”

“The material already coming in for the October sale is great, and we’re imagining it will be a proper send-off for Fred, who has spent decades creating new collectors, building collecting markets, writing original research articles and bringing thousands and thousands of historical items to auction,” said a spokesperson for the company, adding, “What a run!”

Wild West Wonders is appropriately named, as the ‘wonders’ will feature several outstanding collections, beginning with the mineral ore specimens and stock certificates from the collection of mining geologist Dave Shaddrick, offered on Day 2. The Homestake ore specimens are truly spectacular and they include the likely best high-grade specimen to ever hit the auction block.

The stock certificates are some of the earliest offered for the Lawrence County, South Dakota districts, including the second issued Homestake Mine stock, as well as numerous certificates signed by Deadwood sheriff Seth Bullock.

Also up for bid on Day 2 is a fantastic group of lead-zinc mining ephemera and collectibles (including ingots) from the Tri-State mining region (Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas). The collection includes choice underground mining photos, as well as panoramas, rare publications, mining artifacts and lead ingots.

Fans of US Mint items will not want to miss the items featured on Day 3. These will include rare documents from the Fred Weinberg Numismatic Ephemera Collection (Dahlonega Mint, Carson City Mint, Philadelphia and early US Treasury); an original 18760s Carson City Mint $20 double eagle coin die found on the Mint grounds; an original Carson City Mint coin bag; and more.

Day 1 will be highlighted by an excellent group of Western saloon photographs from Alaska, California, Nevada and other areas, including a Truckee, California saloon interior, and shots of Angels Camp, Napa, Soapy Smith and more. To view these, check out lots 1174-1194 online.

Returning to Day 2, the 2 Spirits Trading/Ken & Carolyn Osborne Native Americana Jewelry Collection contains arguably the finest grouping of Native Americana jewelry Holabird has ever offered. The collection features gorgeous silver and turquoise Navajo necklaces, cuffs, squash blossoms, white buffalo, spiny oyster and more, all in the Day 2 Native Americana section.

Telephone and absentee bids for Wild West Wonders will be accepted. Color catalogs are available by calling 1-844-492-2766, or 775-851-1859. To learn more about Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC and the three-day Wild West Wonders auction planned for August 8th thru 10th, starting at 8am Pacific Time each day, please visit www.holabirdamericana.com. Updates are posted frequently.

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