An extremely rare early U.S. 12-cent postage stamp with a portrait bust of George Washington sold for $19,520, and the 1860 U.S. Army Colt revolver with a Richards conversion that once belonged to legendary lawman and gunfighter Elfego Baca (1865-1945) hit the mark for $13,750 at Holabird Western Americana Collections Wild West Auction held July 21 to 24. The auction saw several record prices established in numerous collecting categories, held online and live at Holabirds gallery in Reno, Nev. It was headlined by the collections of Gary Bracken, who collected in a staggering 60-plus categories, and James and Barbara Sherman, whose huge collections were housed in a museum in Tucson, Ariz. Hundreds of collectible items, 2,441 lots in all, came up for bid, at price points that appealed to seasoned collectors and novices alike. Internet bidding was facilitated by iCollector.com, LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Auctionzip.com. Phone and left bids were also taken. The 12-cent stamp was from the Gary Bracken collection. Industry expert David Bowers said of the stamp in 1989, The 12-cent value is an extreme rarity in the series. Only two specimens can be accounted for presently. It was unknown to specialists until 1939. The cased stamp was the sales top earner. It was graded in fine/very fine condition, despite a little dirt and some crinkle. The Elfego Baca revolver came out of the James and Barbara Sherman museum collection. The gun was accompanied by a hardcover first-edition copy of the book Law and Order Ltd.: The Rousing Life of Elfego Baca by Kyle S. Crichton (1928), autographed by the author and by Baca, whose life as a famous lawman in New Mexico was depicted in a Disney mini-series in 1959-60. All prices reported include the buyers premium. Day one featured 480 lots of philatelic items (to include postcards and postal history, featuring items from the Bracken collection and a collection out of Elcano, Nev.) and stocks and bonds. Over 600 lots came up for bid on the first day. Highlights included a rare 1860 manuscript out of the short-lived Monoville (Nev.) mining camp, one of only two examples known, with a Utah Territory postmark and stamped Paid 10c and DUE 10 ($7,187), and a Leavenworth City and Pikes Peak Express cover, stamped June 30, 1869, and addressed to Denver City, Kansas Territory ($1,625). Leavenworth City and Pikes Peak Express Co. was the first express service between Denver City and Leavenworth City. Day two contained art, transportation collectibles (including railroad and steamer passes, ephemera and artifacts), and general Americana (including geographic sort, general store and miscellaneous categories). In all, 625 lots crossed the block. A highlight lot was the Florence & Cripple Creek (Colo.) railroad lantern made by Adlake (latest patent date 1913), featuring an open wire metal basket, a clear globe with F & CC RR embossed ($2,625). Day three was perhaps the auctions busiest day. Both the 12-cent stamp and the Elfego Baca revolver were sold, which featured numismatic offerings (including currency and scrip; U.S., ancient and foreign coins; plus medals, badges and exonumia) and tokens, featuring Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma. Coin collections housed in Dansco #7000 albums were a hit with collectors. A few examples included an album covering 1,000 years of English history, from Eanred to Victoria, including four coppers, 83 silvers and a gold guinea of George III ($8,435). All were identified and included many half crowns, shillings and dozens of hammered coins. An Islamic Coin album containing an ancient collection of 101 Islamic coins, mostly silver but also featuring 40 copper and three gold (Suleiman the Magnificent, Mahmud I and Mahmud II), with 23 of the silver coins 703 AD to 18th century Ottoman, realized $4,940. A lot of two gold coins from the U.S. Mint in Charlotte, N.C., both bearing the C mint mark: an 1850-C $1 gold coin, graded, and an 1851-C $2 gold coin, graded, sold for $3,374. Also, a lot of six Byzantine gold coins, including coins from the reigns of Anastasius (AD 491-518), among others, graded, realized $4,699. A very rare octagonal token from the Rhyolite (Nev.) saloon (The Payteller / 12 c / Rhyolite, Nev.), 30 mm in diameter, with a graphic of a bearded miner with a pick, shovel and lunch bucket, plus a mountain and rising sun, fetched $2,750, while an equally scarce Keg Saloon territorial token (Keg / Saloon /Tombstone / Arizona Territory (A.T.) / Good For / 1 / Drink), round in shape, brown in color and 25 mm in diameter, went to a determined bidder for $1,830. The auctions final day featured Native Americana, cowboy and Wild West, minerals and mining, sports, bottles (highlighted by Colorado and Oklahoma), and saloon, tobacciana and gaming. For additional information, call Fred Holabird at 775-851-1859 or 844-492-2766 or email fredholabird@gmail.com.