Archives International Auctions - Auction 109 December 16, 2025

Archives International Auctions - Sale 109 99 December 16, 2025 Archives International Auctions www.archivesinternational.com Montana Territory 515 515 MT. Holladay Overland Mail and Express Co., with Stage Coach Vignettes, 1860s, Unissued Draft Pair Virginia City, Montana Territory, 1860s. Lot of 2 Unissued Bank Checks, Black print with horse drawn carriage at right and pioneers at left, S/Ns 31 & 32, Checks are in VF to AU condition. (2). Founded by entrepreneur Ben Holladay, this company operated one of the most extensive stage and mail systems in the American West during the 1860s. Holladay purchased the assets of the defunct Central Overland California & Pikes Peak Express Co.—the parent of the famed Pony Express—making his line its direct successor. The company carried passengers, mail, and express freight across the Overland Trail between the Missouri River and the Pacific, serving key routes through Utah, Colorado, and the Montana Territory until its sale to Wells Fargo & Co. in 1866. �� Est. $150-250 516 516 MT. S.R. Buford & Co., Grocers, 1888 to 1889, Issued Check Assortment. Virginia City, Montana Territory, 1888-89. Lot of 57 I/C checks, Black print on lilac underprint with Native American vignette at left, Checks have ‘Paid’ stamps at right side, An attractive and uniform group representing early Montana territorial commerce and banking history from one of Virginia City’s most prominent 19th- century merchants. VF–AU condition overall. (57). Sold “AS IS” no returns accepted. �� Est. $75-150 Nevada 517 517 NV. Carson City Savings Bank, 1876 to 1878, Check, Draft & Exchange Assortment. Carson City, Nevada, 1876-78. Lot of 28 I/C, I/U, and U/U financial documents from The Carson City Savings Bank, including a variety of ornate checks, sight drafts, and deposit certificates. A majority have an 1870 Gold coin on the upper right and eagle at left, Certificates are in VF to XF condition. (28). Sold “AS IS” no returns accepted. �� Est. $130-200 518 518 NV. Society of Pacific Coast Pioneers, 1877 to 1879, Promissory Note I/CTrio. Virginia, Nevada, 1877. Lot of 3 I/C early engraved promissory notes issued by the Society of Pacific Coast Pioneers, denominated in gold coin of the United States. Includes $5, $10, and $20 notes, each bearing the vignette of a bear and forest at center, ornate border corners, and manuscript dates of March 18 and March 29, 1877. Each note promises payment with 1% monthly interest, pursuant to a vote of the Society on February 22, 1877, and is signed by the secretary and president with “PAID” noted at bottom. AU to Uncirculated condition. (3). Founded in 1877, the Society of Pacific Coast Pioneers was created to honor the early settlers who helped shape the western territories before statehood. Its members included miners, merchants, and frontiersmen who took part in the Gold Rush and early development of Nevada and California. The organization preserved pioneer history through reunions and records celebrating the region’s earliest builders and explorers. These denominated bearer notes, $5, $10, and $20, represents an early private obligation of the Society of Pacific Coast Pioneers, payable in gold coin of the United States three years after date with interest at one percent per month. Though formally promissory notes, their printed denomination, payable-to-bearer clause, and engraved presentation suggest they may also have circulated locally among Society members and Virginia City merchants as a form of short-term, interest-bearing scrip. The Society, founded to honor and assist early settlers of the Pacific Coast, issued these notes pursuant to a vote of the organization dated February 22, 1877, likely as part of a fundraising or membership-financing effort. �� Est. $150-250