On June 3rd, 2010, Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers will offer for sale at auction the second part of the remarkable numismatic library carefully assembled over seven decades by the New York numismatic firm founded by brothers Morton and Joseph and ably carried on by Norman, Benjamin, Harvey, Susan, and Lawrence Stack.

For over fifty years, the fabled American portion of the library resided in antique bookcases lining one wall of Harvey Stack’s office, and along the opposite wall as well. Other portions of the library were, for many years, located throughout the main floor of the firm’s New York City retail location at 123 West 57th Street and many of the great classic works on ancient and foreign coins and medals were carefully arranged on the second floor in the Coin Galleries offices.

Covering virtually all aspects of numismatics and replete with rarities, it was one of the finest working libraries on numismatics ever formed in the United States.

On January 9, 2010, 400 lots of key works from this magnificent library were sold by George Frederick Kolbe at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City in conjunction with the New York International Numismatic Convention. The total price realized, including the 15% buyer premium, was nearly $950,000, or an average of nearly $2,400 per lot. Added to that were 100 lots of duplicates from the American Numismatic Society Library, bringing the sale’s grand total to slightly over one million dollars.

Comprising 1072 lots, this upcoming second Stack’s sale is particularly rich in often-consulted standard reference works, although it also includes a number of rarities and particularly desirable items that did not find their way into the first sale.

Highlights among the 506 American lots in the June 3 sale include:

• Stack’s 1930s Ledger and Daybook featuring accounting Information for their first auction
• Coin Galleries’s special hardbound set of Stack’s auction sales, essentially complete from 1935 into the 1970s; the firm’s soft-cover set of Stack’s Fixed Price Lists
• An original 1894 American Numismatic Association Convention Program, one of only three known
• Several photocopy sets of The Barber Papers, a most important archive comprising personal and professional papers from U.S. Mint Chief Engraver (1879-1917) Charles E. Barber [the originals were donated to the Smithsonian Institution by the Stack Family some years ago] (more…)

George Frederick Kolbe and David F. Fanning are pleased to announce that they have combined their numismatic literature firms to expand business opportunities and to better serve their joint clientele. The new entity will operate as Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers and will have an office in Gahanna, Ohio, just outside Columbus. Both Kolbe and Fanning will be actively involved in the business.

Established in 1967, George Frederick Kolbe Fine Numismatic Books is the largest and longest currently active rare numismatic literature auction firm in the world. George Kolbe has been selling important numismatic books at auction since 1976 and David F. Fanning entered the numismatic literature field in 2003. The two have conducted 115 auctions featuring well over 100,000 lots selling for many millions of dollars. Dozens of fixed price lists offering important numismatic works have also been issued over the years and that aspect of the firm’s business will be enhanced by more frequent lists, both in print and online at the Kolbe & Fanning website.

In addition to conducting regular auctions, Kolbe & Fanning are always eager to purchase important numismatic books and libraries for cash; in complete confidentiality if so desired. Over the years, the firm has packed libraries and arranged for shipments on three continents and are willing to travel anywhere in the world to do so. Written appraisals are also available as well as advice concerning the value and salability of rare numismatic works. There is no charge for this latter service.

By joining forces, Kolbe and Fanning believe they will be able to ensure that the business will continue to operate for many years, as they assist collectors, dealers, and researchers in developing their libraries and discovering new avenues for numismatic study. The firm’s first auction will be the second part of the Stack Family Library, which will close on June 3, 2010. A printed catalogue may be obtained by sending $10.00 and the catalogue is available online at no cost. Two auctions are planned for September 2010 (details to be announced soon) and a major public auction has been scheduled on January 8, 2011 in conjunction with the New York International Numismatic Convention at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Manhattan. Consignments of outstanding numismatic books, sale catalogues, periodicals, manuscripts and correspondence archives covering the numismatic spectrum are currently being accepted for the January 2011 public auction sale at NYINC.

The firm’s website can be found at www.numislit.com. Additional information for the firm and its principals will be added to the website as it becomes available over the following weeks. (more…)

Four items from the famed Stack’s Family Library now call the ANA’s Dwight N. Manley Library home. Purchased from George Frederick Kolbe’s January auction in New York City, the ANA’s new American numismatic literature rarities include a rare large paper copy of the first work devoted exclusively to American coins and a complete set of the 19th-century numismatic journal Numisma.

The Stack’s Family Library was assembled over seven decades by the New York numismatic firm founded by brothers Morton and Joseph Stack and carried on by their children. For more than fifty years, the library’s fabled American portion resided in antique bookcases lining two walls of Harvey Stack’s office.

Covering many aspects of numismatics and replete with rarities, the library’s sale was the most anticipated numismatic literature sale in recent memory and attracted bidders from around the world. The 400-lot sale marked only the second time a single-day numismatic literature auction grossed more than $1 million.

“We put a high priority on having a complete library collection, and are committed to upgrading and expanding it. When the opportunity arises, as it did during the Stack Family Library Sale, we took a serious look at adding rare and significant materials to the library,” ANA executive director Larry Shepherd said. “We think the ANA library is a major asset for the whole numismatic community. By obtaining these items, we are preserving them and making them available to members and scholars for viewing.”

The library won four lots in the sale, which were purchased using general funds from the ANA annual operating budget. All will be housed in the Frank J. Katen Rare Book Room, which is environmentally controlled to keep items in pristine condition.

Following are descriptions of each of the items purchased at the auction.

An Historical Account of American Coinage

John H. Hickcox’s 1858 work, An Historical Account of American Coinage (ANA Library Catalog No. GA40.H5), was the first to attempt a comprehensive history of U.S. coinage, and features five plates showing American colonial coins. The book is inscribed in ink on the front flyleaf: “M. L. Spooner, Troy, N. Y., April 12th 1968,” and autographed below in blue ink by Morton Stack. (more…)