Lot # 

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 Lot title and description

Estimate (low-high)

1135. Framed diagram of a Dutch East Indiaman, dated October 1, 1816, made in London, England. 33½” x 14¼”, 4 lb. A perfect go-with for lot #1112 (an original doorway from a Dutch East Indiaman), this document is a large schematic of the construction of a ship, titled (at top) “NAVAL ARCHITECTURE / An EAST INDIAMAN”, with “PLATE XII” in the upper-right corner, “Glover del.” in the bottom-left corner, “Milton sculp.” in the bottom-right corner, and “Published as the Act directs, Oct. 1, 1816, by Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orne & Brown, Paternoster Row.” (famous London printers of atlases) along the middle of the bottom. It is attractively framed for hanging in a dark wood frame with glass, ready for that wall in your den or office! Estimate: $500-$700

1136. Ship’s bill of lading dated August 4, 1875. 11" x 5-3/4". I have heard of these, and customers have asked me for them over the years, but I have never seen one till now, probably because most were either discarded (like a simple receipt) or stored in a file archive somewhere for no one’s enjoyment. It is mostly printed, in italic lettering, with a dozen or so lines filled in by hand in black ink, also with red ink in the margin to the left. At top left is a vignette of a three-masted sailing ship above the name of the stationers. The text itself gives the name of the ship as the Prima Donna, bound for San Francisco from New York in 1875 with cargo items that included mattocks and picks that no doubt were for gold miners (hence this item should be of interest to California Gold Rush junkies). Good condition except for torn piece on right side, now safely ensconced in a glass Riker box. Estimate: $60-$90

1137. Anson, George. A Voyage Round the World In the Years MDCCXL, I, II, III, IV. 1749. 6th ed., HC, 548 pp. Over the years I have sold dozens of 1745-6 English coins with LIMA below the bust of George II (see lot 736), popular with collectors for their connection to Commodore Anson’s plundering Pacific voyage against the Spanish, and I have even sold several of the excellent pamphlets from 1954 about the coins and the history by R.I. Nesmith (see lot 1149), but never—NEVER—have I seen for sale a copy of Anson’s original book about his exploits, as we have here. It is fully leather-bound, with several large, foldout charts (each of which by themselves could fetch hundreds of dollars), in excellent condition considering its age (pages hardly look like they have ever been read), the front cover a bit loose, light inkstamps on title page and ex-libris pocket inside cover. A very rare and virtually irreplaceable antique. Estimate: $350-$500

1138. Ball, Dorian. The Diana Adventure. 1995. 1st ed., HC, DJ, 175 pp, like new. Lavishly illustrated “coffee table” book about the Diana, sunk in 1817 off Malacca, Indonesia, with a cargo of blue-on-white Chinese porcelain. Estimate: $35-$50

1139. Burgess, Robert. They Found Treasure. 1977. 1st ed., HC, DJ, 243 pp, Fine. The story of nine famous treasure hunters (including Art McKee, Kip Wagner, Robert Marx and Mel Fisher), and autographed by the most famous of them, Fisher! Signed “This year will be our best year Dave / Mel” [Fisher]. Estimate: $50-$75

1140. Daley, Robert. Treasure. 1977. 1st ed., HC, DJ, 341 pp, like new. The story of Mel Fisher’s successful search for the Atocha, with details of some of the early salvage efforts and catastrophes. Signed “To Glenn and Ed Metz / Best Regards / Bleth McHaley” and “Good luck Glen & Ed / Mel Fisher”. Estimate: $50-$75

1141. Deagan, Kathleen. Artifacts of the Spanish Colonies of Florida and the Caribbean, 1500-1800, Volume 1: Ceramics, Glassware, and Beads. 1987. 1st ed., SC, 222 pp, like new. An invaluable resource for researchers and collectors of pottery from Spanish colonial wrecks. Estimate: $25-$35

1142. Grissim, John. The Lost Treasure of the Concepción. 1980. 1st ed., HC, DJ, 207 pp, like new. A popular book about the salvage of the Concepción in 1687 by William Phips, followed by Burt Webber’s own search for and salvage of the same wreck in the late 1970s. Estimate: $15-$25

1143. Hatcher, Michael. The Nanking Cargo. 1987. 1st ed., HC, DJ, 176 pp, nearly new. All about Michael Hatcher’s 1985 search for and salvage of the Geldermalsen, sunk off Singapore in 1752 with a load of Chinese blue-on-white porcelains. Estimate: $50-$75

1144. Marx, Robert. Spanish Treasure in Florida Waters—A Billion Dollar Graveyard. 1979. 1st ed., HC (no DJ), 146 pp, like new. A listing of brief details (basically a spinoff from his earlier Shipwrecks of the Western Hemisphere) of Spanish wrecks off Florida from the early 1500s to the early 1800s. Signed “Treasure and Pleasure, Bob Marx”. Estimate: $75-$100

1145. Marx, Robert. Shipwrecks in Mexican Waters. 1981. 1st ed., SC, 76 pp, like new. Like his other earlier books, this is a compilation of brief details on wrecks in a certain area (in this case Mexico), this one done in cooperation with Pablo Bush Romero and CEDAM, Mexico’s premier diving club. Scarce. Estimate: $50-$75

1146. McNutt, James. Quest for Shipwrecks. 1991. Reprint ed., SC, 202 pp, nearly new. Low-budget overview of shipwrecks and the treasures they yield, mostly copied from other references, useful to have all in one place. Signed by author. Estimate: $40-$60

1147. Morris, Roland. Island Treasure. 1970. Third impression, HC, DJ, 232 pp, like new. All about Roland’s search for and salvage of the Association wreck off the Scilly Isles in the 1960s, this example with his own signature in marker. Treasure people in England consider the (late) flamboyant author to be their counterpart to Mel Fisher. Signed by author. Estimate: $50-$75

1148. National Museum of the Philippines. Treasures of the San Diego. 1996. 1st ed., SC, 379 pp, Very Fine. A lavishly illustrated “coffee table” book about the wreck and salvage of the San Diego, sunk in the Philippines in 1600s, produced to accompany a traveling exhibit of the artifacts in the mid-1990s. Estimate: $50-$75

1149. Nesmith, R.I. The Lima Pieces of George II of England. 1954. Pamphlet, 16 pp, like new. A concise overview of Anson’s voyage in 1740-4 and the LIMA coins of 1745-6 that commemorate it, originally written by the premier shipwreck numismatist in the 1940s. (Also see lot #1137.) Estimate: $30-$40

1150. Peterson, Mendel. Treasure of the Concepción. 1980. Pamphlet, 45 pp, nearly new. A small but well-illustrated promotional brochure about the Concepción of 1641. Estimate: $15-$25

1151. Potter, John. The Treasure Divers of Vigo Bay. 1958. 1st ed., HC, DJ, 480, Very Fine. A classic reference that details the complete history of the sinking of Spanish ships in Vigo Bay by the British in 1702 as well as modern salvage attempts. Estimate: $35-$50

1152. Potter, John. The Treasure Diver’s Guide. 1960. 1st ed., HC, DJ, 501 pp, Very Fine. Another classic reference by one of the great names in treasure salvage, this often-used book lists brief details on thousands of wrecks around the world. Estimate: $60-$90

1153. Stark, Jack. The Sponge Pirates. 1956. HC (no DJ), 86 pp, Fine. Neat old book that includes a story about Art McKee and his hardhat salvage efforts, this special edition sold only at McKee’s “Sunken Treasure Fortress” in the 1950s. Estimate: $50-$75

1154. Stick, David. Graveyard of the Atlantic. 1952. 1st ed., HC, DJ, 376 pp, Very Fine. One of the classics, reprinted many times (but this is the first edition), detailing hundreds of wrecks off the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Signed by author. Estimate: $25-$35

1155. Storm, Alex. Canada’s Treasure Hunt. 1967. SC, 1st printing, 152 pp, used. Small paperback book about the Chameau, sunk in 1725 off Nova Scotia and salvaged by the author in 1965. Scarce without all its pages falling out. Estimate: $25-$35

1156. Taylor, James. Gold from the Sea. 1947 reprint, HC (no DJ), 224 pp, Very Fine. All about the RMS Niagara, sunk in 1740 off New Zealand, and the subsequent search for her cargo of bullion. Estimate: $25-$35

1157. Taylor, James. Spoils from the Sea. 1950. 1st ed., HC (no DJ), 240 pp, Very Fine. The biography of 1940s hardhat diver J.E. “Johnno” Johnston, an important salvager of wrecks in the southwest Pacific. Estimate: $40-$50

1158. Wagner, Kip. Pieces of Eight. 1967. Second printing, HC, DJ, 221 pp, Very Fine. The consummate story of the 1715 Fleet and its salvage by the author and his Real Eight Co. in the early 1960s, one of the best and most revered works in sunken treasure literature. Signed by Kip Wagner and Mel Fisher. Estimate: $175-$250

1159. Weller, Bob. The Dreamweaver. 1996. SC, 1st ed., 333 pp, nearly new. The official biography of Mel Fisher, written by another popular and successful salvager. Signed by author, stamped “Today’s the day, Mel Fisher”. Estimate: $25-$35

1160. ANR, January 5-6, 2004 (Sebring collection). SC, 316 pp, like new. A typical U.S. “mega” auction catalog but valuable to treasure people for its inclusion of the shipwreck-coin collection of Thomas H. Sebring, a noted author, with several lots of “tumbaga” bars in addition to the coins. Estimate: $35-$50

1161. Bowers and Merena, June 5-6, 2002 (Treasures of the World). SC, 200 pp, like new. This was Bowers & Merena’s (a huge U.S. numismatic auction house) first foray into world coins, graced by some shipwreck treasures, including a consignment of “tumbaga” bars by yours truly! Estimate: $25-$35

1162. Bowers and Merena, April 7-8, 2005 (Treasures of the S.S. Republic). SC, 31 pp, Fine. A small, 50-lot offering of valuable, high-grade U.S. gold coins from the Republic wreck of 1865. Estimate: $15-$25

1163. Christie’s East, December 12, 2000 (Driscoll Piracy Collection). SC, 73 pp, new. Small but fascinating auction of authentic pirate artifacts and memorabilia. Estimate: $30-$40

1164. Christie’s New York, December 14, 2000 (Gold Rush Treasures from the S.S. Central America). HC, 245 pp, like new. Important auction of U.S. gold coins and ingots from the Central America wreck of 1857. Estimate: $30-$40

1165. Ponterio, April 7-8, 2000 (Gold Royals). SC, 272 pp, nearly new. A typical world-coin auction that contains an important research collection of Potosí cob 8R as well as two Mexican gold Royal 8E from the 1715 Fleet (cover coins). Estimate: $25-$35

1166. Ponterio, March 31-April 1, 2006 (Rooswijk). SC, 244 pp, Very Fine. Another typical world-coin auction but important to us for its first-offering section on the Rooswijk wreck of 1739 (history and lots). Estimate: $20-$30

1167. Sotheby’s, December 8-9, 1999 (Treasures from the S.S. Central America). SC, 206 pp, Very Fine. Important first auction (which did not actually take place till June, 2000, due to court order) of U.S. gold coins, ingots, nuggets and dust from the Central America wreck of 1857. Estimate: $35-$50

1168. Superior, June 2, 1992 (Reijgersdaal). SC, 98 pp, Very Fine. A typical world coins and antiquities auction that contains a significant offering of pillar dollars from the Reijgersdaal wreck of 1747. Estimate: $25-$35