In an effort to provide yet another outlet for the vast quantities of silver being mined in the western United States, John Adam Kasson proposed a four dollar gold piece, or Stella, which would be struck in a metric alloy containing 10% silver. The Stella was also one in a long line of ultimately futile […]
Archives for August 2017
Furnishing Your Home with Collectible Investment Pieces
They say that buying a house is one of the most stressful events a person can experience in their lifetime. Recently, I decided to rush a few of these milestone moments into a span of about three weeks. My schedule included packing and shipping the contents of my small apartment to Dallas, getting married, starting […]
Five for Friday: Rare Artifacts from American Literature
The scope of American Literature encompasses more than just the books written by our most famous American authors; it also includes the personal artifacts belonging to these authors that give insight into their personal lives. Our September 14 Rare Books Signature Auction offers meaningful and unusual lots from these American authors that provides a deeper […]
Five for Friday: Gifts for The Gentleman Collector- Charles Schalebaum’s Vintage Models
The upcoming Fine and Decorative Arts Auction featuring The Gentleman Collector Signature Auction Sept. 22-25 will feature some of the most interesting aeronautical, automotive and nautical vintage model collectibles from legendary dealer and collector Charles “Charlie” Schalebaum. After a lifetime devoted to finding rare, fascinating and important pieces of automotive and travel history, Schalebaum passed […]
Paper Art Damage 101: Types of Deterioration and Improper Preservation
Mat burn, foxing, UV exposure, grime- all of these are incredibly harmful to your art work on paper but they are also rather ambiguous terms sometimes. What exactly is mat burn, how do I protect my piece against it? Buy, Value or Appraise Your Fine Art – Paintings, Drawings, Sculptures Bid or buy art for […]
Five For Friday: American Historical Items sold at Auction
Important historical items regularly come up for auction, so a full list of lots is extensive. Artifacts from the Titanic, all manner of wars from across the world, ancient tribal and pre-Columbian artifacts and iconic pieces of history, all have been seen at auction somewhere at some point in time. The things I have been […]
The Coin That Shouldn’t Exist
As I watched a hush fall over the crowd, the auctioneer opened the lot for one of the most famous and sought-after error coins of all time. In front of a packed Platinum Night auction at the Denver convention center, a newly discovered 1943 Lincoln penny quickly shot to $282,000 because it was made of […]
Artist Spotlight: Roy Lichtenstein
“Pop Art looks out into the world. It doesn’t look like a painting of something, it looks like the thing itself.” – Roy Lichtenstein Roy Lichtenstein, an American artist born in New York in the early 1920s, is best known for referencing popular culture and advertisements in his work. Alongside Andy Warhol and Jasper Johns, […]