The highest price of day one, and the sale as a whole, went to this 18K gold necklace with a Spanish 8 Escudo doubloon mounted in a bezel, approximately 93.6 grams, which cashed in at $30,500 ($7/7,500).
Review by Kiersten Busch
CLARENCE, N.Y. — On March 19-21, Schultz Auctioneers conducted its March Auction, with each day of the three-day event offering different categories of lots. A total of 1,749 lots crossed the block, earning the sale an $852,500 total and a nearly 96 percent sell-through rate. “I feel very positive about how the sale went overall, and thought we achieved strong results,” said Ashley Pass, a representative for Schultz.
Pass also shared a little bit of information about the bidding pool and the diversity of the top-lot buyers. “We had thousands of bidders from all over the US as well as many other countries including Poland, the Netherlands, India, China and many more. [The top ten lots] sold to a variety of private collectors, most were purchased online and some were purchased locally.”
Day one saw the highest price of the sale cross the block — $30,500 — which went to an 18K gold necklace with a Spanish 8 Escudo doubloon mounted in a bezel. According to catalog notes, the necklace was “Recovered from the wreck of the 1715 Plate Fleet off the east coast of Florida.” It weighed approximately 93.6 grams and made just under five times its $7/7,500 estimate.
Gold jewelry was seemingly popular on day one, as several other pieces earned top prices. This included a 14K gold Byzantine link necklace ($9,150), an 18K gold two-tone chain necklace ($7,015), a 14K gold two-tone bracelet ($6,100), a “very ornate” Victorian-style 14K gold buckle bracelet ($5,795) and a 14K gold graduated link collar necklace with diamonds ($4,880).
Securing a $9,150 total was this 14K gold Byzantine link necklace, which weighed approximately 108 grams ($6/7,000).
Gold did not just sell in the form of jewelry, but also as coins, much to the excitement of numismatists. Realizing $5,490 was a 1998 gold Chinese Year of the Dragon .999 gold coin, which was of the 100 Yuan denomination. It was followed, at $5,185, by a 1907 Liberty Head Coronet Double Eagle $20 gold coin set in a buckle bezel. Both exceeded their estimates.
Also popular with bidders on day one was silver, led by a Tiffany & Company Makers sterling silver tea set, which came with six pieces, plus a stand for the teapot. The set landed within its $6/8,000 estimate at $7,320.
Fine art also excelled with an untitled oil on canvas by Jerzy Kossak depicting a troika (Russian sleigh) being chased by wolves. The signed 1929 work earned the second-highest price on day one, $15,875, which may have been supported by its provenance to New York State Supreme Court Judge Ann T. Mikoll.
Day two had bidders interested in more gold jewelry, many of the lots containing a curated selection of similar wares. Leading the day at $3,660 was a lot of 13 gold filled watch chains from circa 1890. The grouping was new and old stock that was used as salesman’s samples, according to catalog notes. More gold filled jewelry was to follow, including a 46-piece lot of watch chains, charms, earrings, lockets, a whistle, pens and more ($3,492); a 36-piece lot of watch charms featuring various hard stones such as carnelian and mother of pearl ($2,928); and a 41-piece lot of various bracelets, shirt studs, watch chains and vest hooks ($2,806).
Hitting the jackpot for three times its $600/800 estimate was this Mills Black Cherry ten-cent slot machine, 26 by 18 by 16 inches, which made $2,440.
A standout lot on the second day — and a break from all the jewelry — was a Mills Black Cherry ten-cent slot machine, which was still in working condition. Despite a conservative estimate of $600/800, the machine hit a jackpot for $2,440.
Day three was a trading card collector’s paradise, with a lot of 1970s Topps baseball cards hitting a home run for $3,810, the highest price of the day. The lot included special cards such as a 1971 Aaron Rose, 1973 Schmidt rookies, 1974 Winfield rookies and Fidrych rookies, among others. Another lot of Topps baseball cards stole the base to earn the second highest price of the day, $3,355. This set, mostly from the 1960s, included vintage cards of Maris, Gibson, Mays, Mantle, Clemente and Banks.
Paper collectibles also spanned outside of sports, with a copy of Elbert Hubbard’s The Titanic, complete with its original box and signed letters from Hubbard, sailing to $3,050 against a $100/200 estimate. An 1885 copy of F.W. Beers and Company’s Atlas of The Oil Region of Pennsylvania also sold, making $1,952.
A French porcelain fashion doll also attracted interest, realizing $3,050. The 18-inch-tall doll came with its original clothing and one additional outfit. Another, approximately 14 inches high and wearing a blue dress, surpassed estimates to sell for $1,464.
Schultz’s next sale will take place June 11-13 and will feature quality antiques, art, a large Civil War collection and many other unique items. Prices quoted include buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, 716-407-3125 or www.schultzauctioneers.net.
