November 19, 2002

George Frederick Kolbe/Fine Numismatic Books reports that "Our November 14th, 2002 auction produced results considerably above expectations. The market for good books on ancient coins - or for key works in all fields for that matter - continues to be strong, and American rarities in the sale often brought record prices. 350 bidders participated in the auction; nearly 200 bid sheets arrived between November 12th and the 14th alone, via fax, email and telephone. This is not to say that earlier bidders did not fare well - many were quite successful - it merely reflects the electronic age in which we live, and pitfalls to be avoided. A 'short' in our fax/DSL internet modemline discovered Wednesday morning the 13th nearly necessitated postponing the sale closing date. Thankfully, repeatedly jiggling the wires got things going until the telephone repairman arrived. There is a lesson here.  We always confirm email bids, and fax bid sheets on request. If bidders do not receive a response to their email messages, THERE IS A PROBLEM!"

American rarities were the stars of the sale (prices quoted include the 10% buyer premium).  A paper-covered set of The Asylum brought $412, with several bids at or above the $300 estimate; T. James Clarke's copy of Clapp-Newcomb on 1795, 1796, 1797 and 1800 large cents sold for $715 on a $250 estimate; plated Chapman sales were in strong demand, including two Stickney sales, one @ 1320, and a choice example @ 3520; a superb Sargent catalogue @ 3630; a Bement U. S. @ 1540; an Earle sale @ $1650; etc. Other plated catalogues bringing strong prices included a presentation 1890 Parmelee @ 1980; a hardbound 1908 Gschwend @ $1320; and a 1915 Granberg @ $2640.  Two sets of Akers gold books brought $825 and $522; a superb set of The Elder Monthly sold for 1760; and a similar set of Mehl's Numismatic Monthly brought 3025, both eclipsing their previous auction results. A "mint" copy of Frank Andrew's classic 1883 work on large cents brought $715 on a $450 estimate. Haxby's four volume work on obsolete bank notes went for $605.

Some results achieved on works an ancient, medieval and modern coins and medals follow: Banti & Simonetti's 18 volume work on Roman Imperial coins sold for $605; the 1975 reprint of the Weber collection of ancient Greek coins brought $495 on a $325 estimate; a complete set of Burnett's "Roman Provincial Coinage" received several strong bids and realized $$797; the reprint of Mionnet's 19th century classic multi-volume work on ancient coins exceeded its $750 estimate, bringing $1017; a photographic archive compiled by Ray Byrne on West Indies and other coins sold for $935; two leather-bound Mexican numismatic periodicals, the "Boletin" and "Monedas," brought over double the pre-sale estimates, $825 and $ 550 respectively; an original set of Svoronos' work on Ptolemaic coins realized $1265; a rare 1897 work on Russian numismatics, estimated to bring $350, was avidly pursued by bidders in both America and in Russia, finally selling for $1210.

A few copies of the sale catalogue are still available and may be obtained, along with a prices realized list, by sending $15.00 to Kolbe (for a short period, it may also be viewed at the firm's web site: www.numislit.com). The firm's next sale is scheduled for February 20, 2003 and important consignments are currently being accepted. The firm may be contacted at P. O. Drawer 3100, Crestline, CA 92325; by telephone at 909-338-6527; or by email at GFK@numislit.com.