Auction Articles

1861 U.S. Marshal Auction
For those of us that thought that only Colonels sold the spoils of war during the American Civil War, I present an original auction broadside dated Wednesday, Nov. 27, 1861 that is titled “Marshal’s Sale.”

U.S. Marshall William Millward conducted the auction of the “Cargo of the Schr. Specie” at the Queen Street Wharf, of Philadelphia, PA., at noon.

The Schooner Specie was a Confederate blockade-runner that was bound for Havana with a large cargo of rice. The U.S.S Dale, by Commander Edward M. Yard, captured it east of Jacksonville on October 12, 1861. The ship was impounded to Philadelphia. The “Auction Store” of Dutih, Cook & Co., of No. 124 South Front Street was chosen to display samples of the stock for “Preview.”

Today the “Marshal Auctions” are typically associated with confiscated assets of convicted drug dealers. This rare original poster sold for $1,080.00 in 2002.

1869 Executor’s Sale Broadside
Auctioneer P.I. Quackenbush from Pennsylvania conducted the auction for the executor, Moyer Diefendorf, on June 29, 1869, on-site. The auction was to settle the estate of Jeremiah Diefendorf from the village of Euclid. With a start time of “10 o’clock A.M.” the Auctioneer had the full day to liquidate and settle up on the personal property. Note that in addition to the livestock and equipment listed, the auction included “3 acres of wheat growing on the ground and a quantity of other articles too numerous to mention.”

The “Terms” for this 19th century auction were typical. “All sums under $10 cash; over that amount six months credit with ‘indorsed’ notes on interest.”

The auction broadside was printed and distributed seven days prior to the auction. The vignette is extremely detailed with plenty of activity depicted on the farm. Although this was probably a stock printers engraved printing block, I have never seen the image on another broadside.

The Office of a Busy Auctioneer
This C-1909 black and white photo postcard was an advertising piece for “Auctioneer Baird, Leading Auctioneer, Aberdeen, S. Dak.”As imprinted on the back in red. Note the room is plastered with auction broadsides. Baird is busy at the manual typewriter with “candlestick” phone sitting on his rolltop desk. This postcard provides a great image from the past of an Auctioneer’s office.

These items are a tribute to the auction profession and the auction method of marketing. In a time devoid of fax machines, Internet and cell phones, Auctioneers provided the great service of high speed selling; the “white heat” of selling, to expand and grow America.