March 16, 2010

American Bank Note Archives Auction Part 5


Dr. Robert Schwartz and Archives International Auctions has just published the latest installment of the American Bank Note Company archives auctions. Sales from this company’s VAST archives have been going on for an amazing 22 years!

This sale is the first to be handled exclusively by Archives International. While the previous four sales were cataloged and described by Schwartz, H.R. Harmer handled publication and sales. Because Harmer is a big “house”, its sales had to be huge. This sale is smaller than the earlier sales and I personally think that is a good thing. Not that a two-day sale is anything to snivel at. I just feel that overly large sales overwhelm collectors’ wallets. In large sales, collectors find too much they want and then back off on their bids. They will either bid less or bid on fewer lots. This is especially true for average collectors with average budgets.

So, speaking strictly for myself, I like the huge catalogs, but I feel a 260-page, fully-illustrated, full-color catalog totaling 1827 lots is about right.

As usual, the sale is split between stocks and bonds and paper money and the whole world is represented. There is, of course, a wide array of stock and bonds represented with a very good showing for railroad issues.

The sale will take place April 15 and 16 in Englewood, New Jersey. If you have not already ordered your copy of the catalog, make sure you contact Archives International at info@archivesinternational.com or visit its web site at http://www.archivesinternational.com/.

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