WESTERN LOTTERY TICKETS
California lottery tickets are extremely rare. This collection came from a large collection of tickets that were mostly from the Louisiana lotteries. This form of gambling was popular in the 19th century but was basically destroyed by the crooked lotteries of Louisiana. Few western lottery tickets survive today. In fact, this may be most of them.
CALIFORNIA
145. California. Butte. Marysville. Marysville Gift Enterprise, c. 1875. Printed at the top is "Gift Enterprise" First prize was "One fine complete Turnout, consisting of a First Class Phaeton, two Carriage Horses, with Rig Complete. Second Gift - One Watson Top Buggy."
There was a $20,000 cash prize, which also included the Turnout and second place prize of $10,000 which also included the Watson top buggy. The drawing was to take place at the Marysville Gift Concert. At the center is a vignette of a horse drawn buggy with a couple in the back and a driver up front. There is a string of numbers stamped along the left edge. Black print and border on a light green safety print. Very fine Est. $300-500
146. California. Butte. Marysville. Marysville Grand Gift Concert Ticket, 1871. This ticket, #27399, was for the Marysville Grand Gift Concert to be held at the Marysville Theatre on February 1, 1871. The cost of the tickets were $3 and there were 50,000 to be sold. At the left edge is a chart of the prize money. Grand prize was $20,000 with a total cash disbursement of $95,000 over 950 prizes. At center is a vignette of a variation of the California State Seal. Light green underprint and background design. Slight water damage to reverse with only a minor staining on front. On this particular raffle, there was a profit of $55,000 to be made if each ticket sold. Not bad for one day's work. Very fine. Est. $400-500
147. California. Nevada. Grass Valley. Grand Gift Concert Ticket, 1871. This ticket, #91830, was for the Grand Gift Concert by the Grass Valley Benevolent Association at Hamilton Hall, Grass Valley, January 2, 1871. There was an expected 100,000 tickets to be sold with the grand prize of $20,000 and a total cash disbursement of $150,000 over 1578 prizes. The ticket cost $2.50. An attractive brown design background. Water damage affects the reverse. The front has a light staining along edges. Very fine. Est. $300-500
148. California. Nevada. North San Juan. Grand Gift Concert Ticket, 1871. This ticket, #42711, was for a Grand Gift Concert held at the North San Juan Theatre on July 10, 1871. Printed at the left is a chart of the prize amount breakdown with the grand prize being $5000 and a total of 1,318 prizes totaling $43,000. Vignette at center of a variation of the California State Seal. Green background design. 3 x 5. Water damage affects reverse which barely affects to the front. The town of North San Juan was originally called San Juan. When the post office opened in 1857, the North was added to San Juan to distinguish it from a town of the same name in Monterey County (now it is San Benito County). (California Place Names, p.238). Very fine. Est. $400-600
149. California. Sacramento. Folsom. Grand Gift Concert Ticket, 1871. This ticket, #11115, was for a Grand Gift Concert to be held at the Fireman's Hall in Folsom, Cal., July 4th, 1871. The ticket it indicates that there were to be 667 gifts and 30,000 tickets to be sold. The cost of the ticket was $2.50. At the left there is a chart of the prize amounts. Grand prize was $10,000 and there were 500 prizes of $20. At the right is another table that shows that the total cash disbursement was to be $45,000. Vignette of a variation of the California State Seal. Attractive green background design ticket. 3.5 x 6. Minor water damage on reverse that barely affects the front. Very fine. Est. $400-600
150. California. Sacramento. Sacramento Pioneer & Library Assoc Grand Concert Ticket, 1871. The ticket reads "Grand Concert by the Sacramento Pioneer and Library Associations at the Metropolitan Theatre, Sacramento, Cal, May 1st, 1871. Ticket #14696. At left is a vignette of the Sacramento Library Assoc Seal and at right of the Sacramento Society of California Pioneers Seal. The tickets cost $2.50. The background of the ticket has a green design with "$75,000" in dark green underprint. "This ticket entitles the holder to Admission, and whatever Gift may be awarded to the number." 3.5 x 6. Water damage affects the reverse with minor spotting showing through to the front. Very fine. Est. $300-500
151. California. San Francisco. San Francisco. Gift Concert Ticket, c. 1870. "Mercantile Library Association, Gift Concert" There are five attached tickets which all have the same number, 67974. Each ticket was worth one fifth of the prize awarded that number. To ensure that you would receive all the prize money, you have to buy all five of the tickets. There are three printed signatures at the bottom of each ticket. Tho. T. Hays secretary, R. B. Swain president and W. C. Ralston. William Chapman Ralston was the president of the Bank of California. Ralston was one of many that was duped by the diamond hoax and invested heavily in the formation of company to mine a non existent diamond field. The diamond hoax was foiled by Wheeler on his survey in Nevada, 1874. The outcome was the near collapse of the Bank of California and Ralston committing suicide in 1875. Printed by Bancroft, SF. The edges are cut slightly uneven. The top ticket has a small piece of paper stuck on the front side near the edge. The reverse has several blue rubber stamps that are nearly illegible. Very fine. Est. $500-700
152. California. Sierra. Downieville. Downieville Fourth of July Gift Ticket, c. 1875. This ticket, #8628, was a lottery ticket (raffle) that is undated but is probably around 1875. There were 75 prizes and 1250 tickets to be sold. The grand prize was for $250, with other prizes including gold and silver, American watches, gold chains and California jewelry. Tickets cost $2. TWO DOLLARS in green underprint with green background design (safety print). 2.5 x 6. Documentary tape attached along right fold crease. Reverse has water stains. The front has minor staining. Left fold crease is torn about 0.5 inch in from the top and bottom. Fine. Est. $200-400
CANADA
153. Canada. New Brunswick. Lottery. Canadian Lottery Tickets, 1884 & 1931. Lot of 2 different pieces. The first is a Royal New Brunswick lottery ticket, #11539, with a drawing to have been held March 15, 1884. Light green edges and lighter green background. Large one half symbol at left edge. Vignette at center of Seal of New Brunswick? 2.5 x 5.5. The second is an Army & Navy Veterans in Canada Charity Subscription Fund lottery (raffle) ticket, #26552, with the drawing to be held June 3, 1931. The total cash disbursement for this round was $1 million. The ticket is colorful with a different flag at each corner with maple leaves attaching them. Both Extremely fine. Est. $200-400
154. Canada. New Brunswick. Lottery. Royal New Brunswick Lottery Ticket, April 30th, 1884. Ticket #66982. Vignette at center of the Seal of New Brunswick? Dark green on the edges and lighter green background. The drawing for this ticket was to be on April 30, 1884. Distribution of Cash Gifts. Every Ticket Wins A Prize. By Goldsmith & Co, St. Stephen, N. B. Canada. 2.5 x 5.5. Extremely fine. Est. $200-400
NEBRASKA
155. Nebraska. Douglas. Omaha. Gift Festival Ticket, 1871. This ticket, #18193, was "For Benevolent Purposes". This ticket entitled the holder admission to the Gift Festival. The ticket has a printed perforation with two tickets of the same number. Each ticket states that the ticket entitles the holder to one half of any gift awarded to the number. The tickets cost $1 each, so I guess if you did not want to share with a stranger any prize won, you would buy both tickets. The tickets are dated 1871. On the reverse, each ticket has a prize break down chart. The grand prize was more than $15,000, with a total of 2310 prizes awarding $100,000. The reverse has large areas where paper is attached probably from being set in an album. There are blue rubber stamps on the reverse with Olyford & Co, Omaha, Nebraska. From these stamps, we have placed the ticket at Omaha. On the front, the tickets are printed with red ink on green safety print. 2.5 x 7.5. Several stains affect the front. Fine to very fine. Est. $300-500
NEW JERSEY
156. New Jersey. Essex. Newark. Grand Concert Ticket, c. 1875. This ticket, #254451, was "to aid in establishing the Lincoln Library in Newark, New Jersey". The ticket is not dated, but is probably c. 1870-80. The ticket is printed on yellow paper with black ink which was then covered with a fine silver overlay. The word Lincoln appears as underprint but is actually just a cut out within the silver overlay. On the reverse is the cash prize break down. Grand prize was $50,000. There were to be a total of 25,351 prizes awarded for a total of $225,000. Peters & Co were the directors of the lottery. Brown stains affect most of reverse but do not affect the readability of the printing. Some staining to front. Very fine. Est. $300-400
UNKNOWN
157. Unknown. Grand Industrial Fair Ticket, c.1875. This ticket, #39194, was for the Second Grand Industrial Fair by the Cosmopolitan Benevolent Society. The fair was to aid the public library, public schools and orphan asylum. The cost of the ticket was $2.50. The grand prize was for $25,000 with a total of $150,000 cash prizes. There is a small vignette of a dog's head. At each edge is a purple color with a chart of the prize breakdown at left. Minor stains on front and reverse. The ticket does not indicate where the fair was to take place. Very fine. Est. $200-400
UTAH
158. Utah. Salt Lake. Corinne. First Great Salt Lake Gift Concert, c.1870. This ticket, #215101, was for the "First Great Salt Lake Gift Concert in aid of the Public Free School, Corinne, Utah, Ter. The only Free School in the Territory." In green underprint is "Capital Prize 50,000 Dollars." There were to be 5x,934 cash prizes for a total of $2xx,500. 3 x 4.5. The reverse has a some paper attached obscuring the prize breakdown chart. The front has a few spots. Very fine. Est. $400-600
