(ca. second quarter 19th century?) Ceramic portrait of George Washington after the 1805 Daniel Eccleston medal. Pottery in black lacquer frame, 99 mm. Essentially as issued. Though I've seen and handled a lot of Washington portraits based on famous medallic images, made in everything from glass to red wax to porcelain, I've never seen or handled anything like this. The medium is some sort of unglazed earthenware with a surface almost like fine stucco. It has been painted, perhaps a bit amateurishly, in white (for the hair), blue (for the uniform coat) and red and gold at the epaulet, along with some black highlighting. The portrait is obviously that of the Eccleston medal, which I've had in other non-medallic forms, but not this one. Two small edge chips are mostly hidden by the black lacquer frame at 10:00 and 11:00. It's a little crude but very attractive; it is definitely distinctive. I'm sure it's quite old, though dating this sort of thing is difficult with precision. It has not been examined out of the frame. Cheaper than an Eccleston medal, but probably a hundred times rarer...$595
Foundational Oregon Settlement Bond, Circa 1831
(ca. 1831) $20 membership bond in The American Society for Encouraging the Settlement of the Oregon Territory. Part-printed form, 21 x 17 cm. No. 52. Very Fine. Signed by General John McNeil (1784-1850) as President and Robert P. Williams as Secretary, both signatures ink cancelled. Die cut and stamped starburst seal of the Society, dated 1831, present at upper left. Three ancient binding holes at left margin, lightly penned "18" at right margin, vertical centerfold shows apparent splitting and deft repair on blank verso. A boldly printed and attractive certificate, produced to show that a potential emigrant to Oregon had paid their $20 "pledge" to the American Society for Encouraging the Settlement of the Oregon Territory to embark upon an overland voyage to the confluence of the Columbia and Willamette Rivers, modern-day Portland, Oregon. The American Society was the brainchild of Hall J. Kelley, the author of the 1831 tract A General Circular to All Persons of Good Character Who Wish to Emigrate to the Oregon Territory. Kelley was the main promotional agent for the Society, which he envisioned as similar to a joint-stock company, whereby those emigrants who signed the "covenant" would help underwrite the journey westward for the whole group. Kelley's idea, and the American Society, ended up failing, with many of his planned members joining the 1832 Nathaniel Wyeth journey instead. Kelley did eventually get to Oregon in 1834, and Kelley Point in Portland is named in his honor
While a few of these apparently survive in institutional collections, including #59 at the Graff Collection at Chicago's Newberry Library and #55 at Yale, there seem to be very few of these in private hands. WorldCat lists 10 in various university libraries. This one is the only one to have been offered in numismatic circles, collected by John Ford as fiscal paper from the earliest days of the Oregon Territory. This piece brought $6,325 in the 2007 Ford XXI sale. The sale noted therein for another example at $1000, but with no date mentioned, took place in 1982 in a fixed price offering.
This is a very unusual opportunity to acquire this important and interesting relic of the earliest days of Oregon's settlement overland from the East...$6750
Rare and Unusual Franklin Portrait After Nini
(ca. second quarter of the 19th century) Benjamin Franklin medallic portrait, after the 1778 Bald bust by Nini. Pressed paper in a gilt wood frame, 11.5 x 11.5" framed. Extremely Fine. A very rare and very attractive portrait of Franklin, perhaps ca. 1820-40, taken from the very rare terracotta medallion by Jean-Baptiste Nini that depicts Franklin bald-pated with long, flowing curls. Unlike the commonly encountered Nini portrait medallion that depicts Franklin with a beaver skin hat, the original form of this Nini bust is a great rarity. In spite of this, it spawned a great aftermarket of similar items, from porcelain plaques to crude metal casts to this delicate and interesting work of art. This piece was essentially struck, coin style, in a paper-like composition. This odd format was not meant to survive the centuries, and few examples of this seem to have survived. Neither Sellers (Benjamin Franklin in Portraiture) nor Greenslet (The Medals of Franklin) make mention of it, though the Nini plaques and their derivatives are covered in some detail. The only fault with this piece is a short split over Franklin's brow, almost certainly fixable in the hands of a good restorer, though I have not endeavored to examine this out of the frame. Franklin's name appears in embossing at the base of the olive-colored area, which is part of the struck Franklin portrait, not an added mat. This piece displays beautifully, and unlike so many numismatic collectibles, it would be easy to showcase in a home or office. Once sold, this is not a piece I anticipate having a chance to offer again...$1375
(1778) Encyclopedia plate of coining equipment. Folio, 13 1/2" x 9". From The New complete dictionary of arts and sciences by Erasmus Middleton and others. Published in London, the Middleton Dictionary was one of many Enlightenment-era encyclopedias that were something like well-illustrated forerunners of the World Book. This plate, numbered XX, depicts some diagrams of prisms at the bottom while the top shows, from left to right, a detailed rendition of a screw press, a set of dies for a George III guinea, and a Castaing machine, complete with a planchet-filled basket beneath. The condition is good, the white paper in good order with no foxing or significant toning. The piece is gently mounted to cardboard back and matting, easily removeable for placement in a folio envelope or matted and framed. A fine and readily displayed contemporary reference documenting 18th century coining equipment...$475
Scarce and Early Washington Wax Portrait
(ca. 1800-25) George Washington wax portrait. Wax, framed (in cherry?) behind glass. Framed dimensions 7 1/4 x 6 1/2 inches, portrait 3 1/2 inches tall. Very Fine or better. A nicely preserved early portrait of Washington and a fine example of wax portraiture, popular in America and abroad from mid 18th century until the third decade of the 19th century. This portrait is in white wax, showing good detail in the profile, hair, and epauletted uniform. While wax portraits, especially ones like this that were "mass-produced" for popular consumption, are rarely crisp, but this is better detailed than often seen. The frame is in good order, with a mount and loop at top and showing nice old patina. The glass is intact and clear, and the back of the frame is uniform and free of issue. The most famous wax portrait of Washington is perhaps the one accomplished by Patience Wright, the mother of US Mint engraver Joseph Wright. This anonymous portrait of Washington would make a charming and decorative addition to any collection of early Americana...$1375
(ca. 1820-40) Declaration of Independence snuff box. Black lacquer finished paper mache, 3 1/2" diameter, 3/4" tall. Extremely Fine. A beautiful quality specimen of this popular snuffbox. The complete printing of the Declaration of Independence (and signers!) is intact on both sides. Some light crazing and a few very minor chips at the extremities are present, but the preservation is outstanding overall. This inferior piece brought $920 in a Cowan's auction eight years ago, and there's one one eBay right now for around three grand. In terms of decorated paper mache snuff boxes of the second quarter of the nineteenth century, this is fairly common -- it must have been a hot seller (perhaps for the 1826 semicentennial?). It's nice to see one in such nice shape...$1350
Historic and Scarce 1830's Chief Black Hawk Snuffbox
(ca. 1835) Mac-cut-i-mish-e-ca-cu-cac or Black Hawk snuff box. Black lacquer finished paper mache, 3 1/2" diameter, 3/4" tall. Very Fine. A very nice quality image of Chief Black Chief, based on one of the post-1833 prints of James Otto Lewis' original painting, accomplished in the mid 1820s. Black Hawk became famous after his raids in modern-day Illinois and Wisconsin, popularly known as the Black Hawk War, in 1832. This image is somewhat stylized, but most who saw this snuff box likely never owned the print. As on most known specimens of this snuff box, most of the inscription has chipped off the bottom of the lid, though the black outlines of BLACK HAWK are still visible. This unusual early portrait snuff box would make a fine display item or auxiliary item to a collection of Indian Peace medals...$1150
Historic Minstrel Show Broadside
"Who Wants a Gold Lever Watch for a QUARTER?"
(ca. 1860). Sharpley's Minstrels broadside. 6 1/2 x 4 3/4" Printed on one side. Very Good. Manuscript inscription on blank verso of Jacob Light of North Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Ragged at the left edge, chunk missing near lower right corner, doodled all over with math notations, mostly in pencil, a few in pen. A number of different troupes toured as some variation of Sharpley's in the 1860s, and most covered territory that could have included southeastern Pennsylvania. This broadside apparently promotes the evenings big giveaway -- a big heavy gold watch that some lucky attendee would buy for just a quarter. If this thing said "two bits" on it, I'd be asking a thousand bucks. As it is, the prominence of QUARTER in the layout makes this pretty interesting numismatically, perhaps as outside-the-box association material with a collection of two reales or Seated quarters. Its interest simply as a minstrel broadside should make it worth...$375
Fascinating Ohio Treasury Warrant to Pay For 1840 Presidential Election
November 15, 1840 Paulding County, Ohio Treasurer's Warrant. Issued to Alfred Snoufe (?) for "bringing in Returns of Pres. Election." Considering that one of Paulding County's townships is named Harrison, I would guess that the election's winner, William Henry Harrison, may have won the country's returns. This piece retains its stub, suggesting it was a retained copy. Some evidence of mounting is visible on the back. The glory of documents is that something so seemingly obscure -- a financial instrument for a small sum from a western Ohio county treasurer -- speaks to a broader historical theme. Paulding County borders Indiana, where Harrison made his fame as an Indian fighter and governor. When Harrison was elected in 1840, he was a resident of western Ohio. Paulding County, thanks to nearby canals, was thriving at the time. Its population in 1835, according to Wikipedia, has not been surpassed since. This would be a nice association piece with a collection of William Henry Harrison election medalets...$175