710. Mining. Art. Mineralogie, 7me Collection Filons et traverse des Mines Plates, c.17th-18th Century. Lot of 7 different black and white plates from the book Mineralogie (unknown author) that was probably published in the 17th or 18th centuries. Plates I-V are all 11 x 16 inches. Plate I has two diagrams. The top shows early geologists investigating virgin ground with a view underground of the potential ore bodies. The second figure shows a sub surface view of underground mining. Plate II has two different diagrams with the top one showing the dynamics of sub surface structure of geology and the bottoms shows stacking up of large piles of wood perhaps prior to the development of blasting powder. Plate III has two diagrams with the top showing geologists or engineers setting out survey posts and the second diagram shows the beginning of surface development. Plate IV has two different diagrams showing varying styles underground mine developments. Plate V has two diagrams. The top has a very intricate underground design with stoping and elaborate shafts. The second diagram shows sub surface geologic features. Plate VI 16 x 22” shows a general view of a working mine with a water wheel as the power source. Plate VII is 16 x 22” and shows a small town on the surface above a very elaborate underground quarry. This plate is the most creative and attractive. All Extremely fine. Est. $600-1200
711. Mining. Assay. Assay Lab Bottles. Lot of 2 pcs. The first bottle is embossed with “Mercuric Nitrate, 1000 ml” and has a brownish yellow tint. 8” tall x 4” wide. The second lab bottle is generic with no markings. The top is very unique though. The top is capped with a metal stopper that has a spring loaded push pin. When pushed, the pin opens a small hole in the cap. The glass is clear and the bottle is 6.5” tall x 3.5” wide. Both very fine. Est. $25-75
712. Mining. Assay. Chipman Chemical Engineering Co Poster. At the top of the poster in large red letters is “ARSENIC”, with the following underneath “Mine Owners, Ore Shippers, Prospectors, We Want Your Arsenic Ores”. At the middle of the poster are 5 different common arsenic ores displayed in hand specimens in full color. The ores include Arsenopyrite, Green Scorodite, Realgar & Opriment, Grey-white Scorodite and Coarse Grained Arsenopyrite. The rest of the poster contains information on how to reach the Chipman Chemical Co, which is a manufacturer of arsenical products. The company had offices in Reno and San Francisco with a processing plant in Martinez, California. Poster measures 22 x 32”. Minor dirt on poster. Extremely fine. Est. $200-500
713. Mining. Assay. Mortar & Pestel. The mortar is 4” tall by 4” diameter. Both pieces are in extremely find condition with no dings or chips. Only minor rust. Est. $25 -75 (No Illustration)
714. Mining. Assay. Mortar & Pestel. The mortar stands 5” tall with a 5.5” diameter. The pestel has a 9.5” handled with an oversized ball at the grinding end. Minor rust. Est. $50-100
715. Mining. Bottles/Cans. Bottle & Can Collection, c.1890-1910. Lot of 6 different pcs. (1) Can: “Bull Dog Extra Stout Malt Liquor”. Can is painted white on top and black below with a bulldog. (2) Can: “Columbia River, Oregon, Salmon, Astoria Packing Co, Astoria, Oregon”. There is an image of a salmon at the middle. The can has a paper label that is orange. Bottom of can was the side that was opened. Minor rust, label has some small tears and chips, but still attractive. (3) Bottle: Rockford Whiskey bottle with paper label with tears and chips. 6” tall, psuedo pumpkin seed style. (4) Bottle: Oakland Club Ginger Ale, 12 oz green glass bottle with paper label and tin foil around top. Bottled by the Pioneer Beverages, Ltd, Oakland Calif. 9.5” tall, round. (5) Bottle: Wine bottle from the California Wine Association bottled for A. W. Kenison Co, Auburn, Cal., paper label with chips, brown glass. 13.5” tall, round. (6) Bottle: Leopold Hoff’s Malt Extract” unopened, full bottle. There is a paper label that several chips and stains making it difficult to read label. Green glass, 8.5” tall. All the items in this collection were dug in a Nevada ghost town and are in fair condition. Est. $75-150
The following collection of candlesticks was compared to Wilson-Bobrink’s book. We have used their numbering system to identify the sticks and list them in a similar format to that of the book.
716. Mining. Candlesticks. California Marked Candlestick. California engraved on top of stick. Rare stick of very good quality construction. Made by Ldulow-Saylor Wire Co of St. Louis. Wilson-Bobrink #30. Candle holder on right. 11 1/2”. Xf. Est. $150-300
717. Mining. Candlesticks. Candlestick, Marked. “Pat June 17, 1890”. This stick is shown by Wilson-Bobrink as #10, “Shoulder Patent”. Rare, perhaps 10-20 known. This is one of the verifiably oldest miner’s candlesticks. Provenance: James Byers Family, Goldfield, Nevada (please Byers story in our Auction #13 Catalog). 9” long. Xf, rust. Est. $200-400
718. Mining. Candlesticks. Comstock Marked Candlestick. Comstock stick, marked on the inside of the spike, opposite the candle holder. Wilson-Bobrink #13. Very rare, with 2 or 3 reported known. 9” long, Vf, hanger point is worn. Est. $300-600
719. Mining. Candlesticks. Denver Marked Candlestick. Denver engraved on top. This is a Varney style stick made by Varney. They are scarce. 12” long. Vf. Est. $100-200
720. Mining. Candlesticks. Denver Marked Candlestick. Engraved on bottom. Imitation Varney style with Denver engraved on stick. 9 1/2” long. Vf. Est. $75-150
721. Mining. Candlesticks. Imperial Marked Candlestick. Imperial engraved on top of stick. Varney style stick made by Varney. This is an unusually long stick at nearly 13”. Common. Xf. Est. $75-150
722. Mining. Candlesticks. Lightning Marked Candle Stick. This is identical to Wilson-Bobrink #3. It is a very attractive candlestick with about a dozen examples known. The nickel plating was designed to help prevent rust. It also makes the stick look more decorative, resembling a silver plate. Engraved with owner’s name Henry Boker. 11” long. Marked “C51” in whiteout on bottom. Vf. Est. $200-400
723. Mining. Candlesticks. Montana Marked Candlestick. The Montana stick is rare. This stick varies slightly from the stick illustrated in Wilson & Bobrink (#30) in that the “Montana” is gang punched in the usual spot atop the spike instead of along the side. While this variety is not mentioned in the book, it is probably not unique. Engraved on top. Hanger is attached to stick on top. 10” long. Vf. Est. $200-400
724. Mining. Candlesticks. Royal Marked Candlestick. Royal engraved on top of stick. Varney style stick made by Varney. Relatively common. 11 1/2”. Xf. Est. $75-150
725. Mining. Candlesticks. Royal Marked Candlestick. Royal engraved on top of stick. Varney style stick made by Varney. Relatively common. Hanger also functions as the candle release. 12” long, with rust. Vf. Est. $75-125 (No Illustration)
726. Mining. Candlesticks. Russell Marked Candlestick. Russell engraved on top of stick. Varney style made by Varney. This stick is an odd length. 10 1/2”. Xf. Est. $75-150
727. Mining. Candlesticks. Russell Marked Candlestick. Russell engraved on top. Varney style stick made by Varney. 12” long. Common. Vf. Est. $75-100
728. Mining. Candlesticks. Sunset Market Candlestick. This stick has “Sunset” gang stamped in the usual spot on the spike. It is unlisted in Wilson-Bobrink, but I do not think it is unique. It most closely resembles the Sunset made by Boker, #3 in Wilson-Bobrink’s book, but lacks the Boker stamp. This stick is very rare with probably less than ten examples known. 10.5” long. Vf. Est. $250-500
729. Mining. Candlesticks. Varney Engraved Candlestick. This is the long Varney stick. They are the most common of the brand name candlesticks, according to Wilson-Bobrink. The Varney is named after Nathan Varney, a Colorado miner, who began manufacturing sticks and other equipment in Denver about 1885. He made his patented sticks in three sizes, 8, 10, and 12” long, though some specimens both shorter and longer have surfaced. They cost about $9 per dozen and date to the turn of the century, just in time for the Tonopah-Goldfield gold rush. 13” long. Rusted, but in Very good condition. Est. $75-100
730. Mining. Candlesticks. Varney Engraved Candlestick. Very rare Varney style stick with a gang punch using small letters. Not listed in Wilson-Bobrink. 11” long. Hanger functions also as a release for the candle. All metal is square and heavy-duty. Xf. Est. $150-300
731. Mining. Candlesticks. Varney Marked Candlestick. Small Varney patented stick marked Varney. No miner’s name noted. 8” long, hanger functions also as a release for the candle. Still has blue steel finish, a rarity. Xf. Est. $75-150
732. Mining. Candlesticks. Varney Marked Candlestick. Small Varney stick made by Varney in Denver. This is the short 8 1/2” stick. Common. Xf. Est. $75-100
733. Mining. Candlesticks. Candlestick Unmarked. Probably handmade. It looks like someone made it out of an old RR spike. Extremely rusted. 7” long.. Est. $25-75
734. Mining. Candlesticks. Candlestick Unmarked. Broken, unmarked stick. Provenance: James Byers Family, Goldfield, Nevada (please Byers story in our Auction #13 Catalog). 10” long. Est. $25-50
735. Mining. Candlesticks. Candlestick Unmarked. Classic unmarked manufactured stick. Provenance: James Byers Family, Goldfield, Nevada (please Byers story in our Auction #13 Catalog). 10” long. Vf, some corrosion, wax still present at base of candle holder. Est. $75-150
736. Mining. Candlesticks. Candlestick Unmarked. Large homemade stick. Sticks like this are difficult to date. Western miners were notorious for making sticks with supplies on hand, but modern forgers have been good at creating facsimiles. 11.25”. . Iron gauge is about 1/2” in diameter. Est. $50-100
737. Mining. Candlesticks. Candlestick Unmarked. Probably a modern forgery. Construction is poor. No candle holder. 11”. Est. $50-75
738. Mining. Candlesticks. Candlestick Unmarked. This is an odd stick with no separate vertical candle holder. Candle holder is instead in the handle. This stick has had mixed opinions on its origin – original or fantasy. Critics point to the unusual shape. Supporters of its authenticity point to the high quality of workmanship and the “unique” design. The piece bears strong similarities to the Boyle stick #221 in Willson-Bobrink. 12” long. Two loop design at handle. Est. $50-150
739. Mining. Candlesticks. Candlestick Unmarked. Unmarked blacksmith stick from Goldfield, Nevada. Provenance: James Byers Family, Goldfield, Nevada (please Byers story in our Auction #13 Catalog). 10 1/2” long. Vf, some corrosion. Est. $75-150
740. Mining. Candlesticks. Candlestick, Homemade. The candlestick was made from a piece of steel that was about 16” long. About 11” up, the maker heated the steel, flattened it and rolled it to a size that would hold a candle. The forger of the item has a 3 inch piece after the flattening that forms a lever for releasing the candle. Rusted. Est. $25-50
741. Mining. Candlesticks. Candlestick, Unmarked. Classic large size custom stick. Similar to Wilson-Bobrink #90, but much larger at 16” long. Hook is 4” tall and the candle holder is 2” tall. Wonderful example of a large miner’s candlestick. Marked on bottom in whiteout C34. Xf. Est. $200-400
742. Mining. Candlesticks. Candlestick, Unmarked. Classic unmarked style. This stick is fine diagonal marks, three near the hook and two 2” from the end of the spike. 9 1/2” long. Vf. Est. $75-150
743. Mining. Candlesticks. Candlestick, Unmarked. Early miner’s candlestick found in old workings of the Flowery mine, Virginia City, Nevada. Similar to Wilson-Bobrink #65. Probably an early stick dating to the 1860-1880 period. 9” long, hanger also functions as the candle release. Vf. Est. $100-300
744. Mining. Candlesticks. Candlestick, Unmarked. Fancy stick with shield pattern cut into handle and fancy thumb release for candle. Never cleaned or curated. This came from a Nevada mining family in Eureka. Probably unique. 9 1/2” long. Slightly rusted. Candle holder is on right side of stick. Est. $1000-2000
745. Mining. Candlesticks. Candlestick, Unmarked. Fine unmarked stick similar to Wilson-Bobrink #90. Common. Hanger is short and thin, only two inches tall. Candle holder on right, with wax drippings still present. 11” long. Vf. Est. $75-150
746. Mining. Candlesticks. Candlestick, Unmarked. Pistol grip model, an unusual stick, but very similar to Wilson-Bobrink #106. Candle holder is on right. 8 1/2” long. Vf. Est. $75-150
747. Mining. Candlesticks. Candlestick, Unmarked. Unmarked stick similar to Wilson-Bobrink #90. 9 1/2”. Vf. Est. $75-150
748. Mining. Candlesticks. Candlestick, Unmarked. Unmarked, large high grader’s stick with broken candle holder. Original. Found in Nevada. 13” long, hanger 4” tall. Rusted. Est. $50-150
749. Mining. Candlesticks. Candlestick, Unmarked. Unusual short stick made to resemble the Varney style. Fantasy stick (forgery). The stick wraps around and comes back to the candle holder, making one unit. Candle holder is on right. Hanger is slightly lose. 8” long. Vf. Est. $50-100
750. Mining. Candlesticks. Candlestick,Unmarked. Unmarked stick. Not similar to anything in Wilson-Bobrink. 9.5” long. Hanger wraps under stick, connecting to the bottom of candle holder. Slightly rusted, but very fine. Est. $75-150
751. Mining. Lamp. Justrite Carbide/Candlestick Combination Lamp. The lamp has a stick attachment around the center that would allow for supporting the lamp in rock similar to a candlestick. The lamp is dark toned all around with minor dings to body and canister. The stick is very rusted. The filament at the center of the reflector shield is missing. Est. $25-50
752. Mining. Candlesticks. Candlestick-Carbide Lamp Combination. Remarkable miner’s candlestick-carbide lamp combination attached with heavy gauge wire. Possibly made by Knippenberg Mfg Co of Oashkosh, Wisconsin. 9 1/2” (stick). Lamp is a Guysdropper (engraved), with patent date of 1914 and 1915. Candlestick not engraved. Vf. Est. $150-300
753. Mining. Candlesticks. Fancy Candlestick, Unmarked. Fancy steel stick typical of those illustrated in Wilson-Bobrink, though unlisted. Excellent quality and workmanship. Three different sized circles in hanger. Stick is rectangular, wider than others. Candleholder is 2” long, with design at top. 10”long. Xf. Est. $500-1000
754. Mining. Candlesticks. Folding Candlestick, Unmarked. This folding candlestick does not exactly match any of the folders in Wilson-Bobrink. It most closely resembles #213, however the drawing in the book does not show the folding mechanism of the spike. The folding mechanism of the hook is identical to that in the book for #213. No manufacturer’s name present. 11” long. Vf. Ex. Rare. Est. $1000-2000
755. Mining. Candlesticks. Lindahl of Denver Marked Candlestick. Lindahl patented stick with candle and match compartment in handle. Made of brass. The Lindahl Mfg Co was located in Denver. This stick was popular in 1908. There are at least 3 different varieties known. Wilson-Bobrink #201. Patent No. 801465, engraved on end of handle, which is also a cap which unscrews. ProEnd is Brass. Marked C1 in Whiteout on bottom. 11 1/2” long. Xf. Est. $200-400
