Bowerbird-
The Card Players
The Card Players is a series of oil paintings by the French Post-Impressionist artist Paul Cézanne. Painted during Cézanne's final periodin the early 1890s, there are five paintings in the series. The versions vary in size and in the number of players depicted. Cézanne also completed numerous drawings and studies in preparation for The Card Players series.
No. 5, 1948
No. 5, 1948 is a painting by Jackson Pollock, an American painter known for his contributions to the abstract expressionist movement. The painting was done on an 8' × 4' sheet of fiberboard, with thick amounts of brown and yellow paint drizzled on top of it, forming a nest-like appearance. It was originally owned by Samuel Irving Newhouse, Jr. and displayed at the Museum of Modern Art before being sold to David Geffen and then allegedly toDavid Martinez in 2006 (though the supposed sale of this painting to Martinez has been denied by his attorneys).
Woman III
Woman III is a painting by abstract expressionist painter Willem de Kooning. Woman III is one of a series of six paintings by de Kooning done between 1951 and 1953 in which the central theme was a woman. It measures 68 by 48 1⁄2 inches (1.7 by 1.23 m) and was completed in 1953.
La Reve
Le Rêve (French, "The Dream") is a 1932 oil painting (130 × 97 cm) by Pablo Picasso, then 50 years old, portraying his 22-year-old mistress Marie-Thérèse Walter. It is said to have been painted in one afternoon, on 24 January 1932. It belongs to Picasso's period of distorted depictions, with its oversimplified outlines and contrasted colors resembling early Fauvism.
Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I
Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I is a 1907 painting by Gustav Klimt. According to press reports it was sold for US$135 million to Ronald Lauder for his Neue Galerie in New York City in June 2006, which made it at that time the most expensive painting for about 4 months. It has been on display at the gallery since July 2006.
Portrait of Dr. Gachet
Portrait of Dr. Gachet is one of the most revered paintings by the Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh. It depicts Dr. Paul Gachet, who took care of Van Gogh during the final months of his life. There are two authenticated versions of the portrait, both painted in June 1890 at Auvers. Both show Doctor Gachet sitting at a table and leaning his head on his right arm, but they are easily differentiated in color and style. In 1990, the first version fetched a record price of $82.5 million ($75 million, plus a 10 percent buyer's commission) when sold at auction in New York. When accounting for inflation, this is still the highest price paid for art at a public auction.
Bal du moulin de la Galette
Bal du moulin de la Galette (commonly known as Dance at Le moulin de la Galette) is an 1876 painting by French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir. It is housed at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris and is one of Impressionism's most celebrated masterpieces. The painting depicts a typical Sunday afternoon at Moulin de la Galette in the district of Montmartre in Paris. In the late 19th century, working class Parisians would dress up and spend time there dancing, drinking, and eating galettes into the evening.
Garcon a la pipe
Garçon à la Pipe (English: Boy with a Pipe) is a painting by Pablo Picasso. It was painted in 1905 when Picasso was 24 years old, during his Rose Period, soon after he settled in the Montmartre section of Paris, France. The oil on canvas painting depicts a Parisian boy holding a pipe in his left hand and wearing a garland or wreath of flowers.
The Scream
The Scream (Norwegian: Skrik) is the popular name given to each of four versions of a composition, created as both paintings and pastels, by theExpressionist artist Edvard Munch between 1893 and 1910. Der Schrei der Natur (The Scream of Nature) is the title Munch gave to these works, all of which show a figure with an agonized expression against a landscape with a tumultuous orange sky. Arthur Lubow has described The Scream as "an icon of modern art, a Mona Lisa for our time."
Flag
Flag is an encaustic painting by the American artist Jasper Johns. Created when Johns was 24 (1954–55), two years after he was discharged from the US Army, this painting was the first of many works that Johns has said were inspired by a dream of the U.S. flag in 1954. It is arguably the painting for which Johns is best known.
1794 Flowing Hair Dollar
The Flowing Hair dollar was the first dollar coin issued by the United States federal government. The coin was minted in 1794 and 1795; its size and weight were based on the Spanish dollar, which was popular in trade throughout the Americas. In 1791, following a study by Alexander Hamilton, Congress passed a joint resolution calling for the establishment of a national mint. Later that year, in his third State of the Union address, President George Washington urged Congress to provide for a mint, which was officially authorized by theCoinage Act of 1792. Despite the authorization, silver and gold coins were not struck until 1794. The Flowing Hair dollar, designed by Robert Scot, was initially produced in 1794, and again in 1795. In October 1795 the design was replaced by the Draped Bust dollar. In May 2005, a specimen striking from the 1794 production was sold in a private sale for $7.85 million, more than any other coin in history. On January 24, 2013, a 1794 production was sold for a new record $10 million by Stack's Bowers Galleries, including commission. Rare-coin firm Legend Numismatics was the purchaser.
1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle
The 1933 double eagle is a United States 20-dollar gold coin which holds the record for the second-highest price paid at auction for a single U.S. coin. It was purchased for US$7.59 million. 445,500 specimens of this Saint-Gaudens double eagle were minted in 1933, the last year of production for the double eagle, but no specimens ever officially circulated and nearly all were melted down, due to the discontinuance of the domestic gold standard in 1933.
1787 Brasher Doubloon EB on Breast
In 1787, Ephraim Brasher [1], a goldsmith and silversmith, submitted a petition to the State of New York to mint copper coins. The petition was denied when New York decided to not to get into the business of minting copper coinage. Brasher was already quite highly regarded for his skills, and his hallmark (which he not only stamped on his own coins but also on other coinage sent to him for assay) was highly significant in early America. Brasher struck various coppers, in addition to a small quantity of gold coins, over the next few years. One of the surviving gold coins, weighing 26.6 grams and composed of .917 (22-carat) gold, was sold at public auction for $625,000 in March 1981. On January 12, 2005 Heritage Auction Galleries sold all three varieties of Brasher Doubloons as part of their Florida United Numismatists U.S. Coin Auction, Platinum Night Session. The coins realized $2,415,000 for the New York Style EB Punch on Wing NGC AU55, $2,990,000 for the unique New York Style EB Punch on Breast NGC XF45 and $690,000 for the rare but less iconic Lima Style Doubloon. The unique Brasher Doubloon, the first gold coin made for the young United States, was sold December 2011 by nationally known rare coin dealer, Steven L. Contursi of Laguna Beach, California, to Certified Acceptance Corporation (CAC) of Far Hills, New Jersey. An undisclosed Wall Street investment firm subsequently has purchased it from Blanchard and Company of New Orleans, Louisiana for a record price of nearly $7.4 million, the most money ever paid for the historic rare coin. The coin was the subject of nefarious goings on in Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe mystery The High Window. It is also mentioned in Lawrence Block's Bernie Rhodenbarr mystery The Burglar Who Studied Spinoza and John Bellairs's The Mansion in the Mist.
Edward III Florin
The Florin or Double Leopard was an attempt in 1344 by English king Edward III to produce a gold coinage suitable for use in Europe as well as in England (see also Half Florin or Leopard andQuarter Florin or Helm). It was 108 grains (6.99829 grams) of nominal pure ('fine') gold[citation needed] and had a value of six shillings (i.e. 72d).
1804 Class I Silver Dollar
The 1804 Silver Dollar is an extremely rare United States coin with very limited production in the 1830s and 1860s, long after its face date. As there are only a total of fifteen genuine 1804 Silver Dollars known, it is not too difficult to determine which can be considered to be the finest known. Eight comprise Class I, which were minted in 1834. Two Class I specimens trace their lineage to the King of Siam and the Sultan of Muscat. One comprises Class II and six comprise Class III and were minted sometime between 1858 to 1860. It is alleged both Class II and Class III specimens were made clandestinely by Mint officials. Due to the nature of their rarity, some have been sold for high dollar figures. Replicas andcounterfeits exist, some meant to deceive collectors, while others are made to offer a cheap substitute for the real and more expensive coins.
1804 Class I Silver Dollar from Queller's Collection
The 1804 Silver Dollar is an extremely rare United States coin with very limited production in the 1830s and 1860s, long after its face date. As there are only a total of fifteen genuine 1804 Silver Dollars known, it is not too difficult to determine which can be considered to be the finest known. Eight comprise Class I, which were minted in 1834. Two Class I specimens trace their lineage to the King of Siam and the Sultan of Muscat. One comprises Class II and six comprise Class III and were minted sometime between 1858 to 1860. It is alleged both Class II and Class III specimens were made clandestinely by Mint officials. Due to the nature of their rarity, some have been sold for high dollar figures. Replicas andcounterfeits exist, some meant to deceive collectors, while others are made to offer a cheap substitute for the real and more expensive coins.
1913 Liberty Head Nickel
The 1913 Liberty Head nickel is an American five-cent piece which was produced in extremely limited quantities unauthorized by the United States Mint, making it one of the best-known and most coveted rarities in American numismatics. In 1972, one specimen of the five cent coin became the first coin to command a price of US$100,000; in 1996, another specimen became the first to break the million-US$ barrier. It is also rumored that if one were to be found in perfect condition, it could be worth over US$20,000,000. In 2003 one coin was sold for almost US$3 million. In 2010, the Olsen piece sold for US$3.7 million at a public auction. Only five examples are known to exist: two in museums and three in private collections.
1907 Ultra High Relief $20 (Double Eagle)
The Saint-Gaudens double eagle is a twenty-dollar gold coin, or double eagle, produced by the United States Mint from 1907 to 1933. The coin is named after its designer, the sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, who designed the obverse and reverse. It is considered by many to be the most beautiful of U.S. coins. In 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt sought to beautify American coinage, and proposed Saint-Gaudens as an artist capable of the task. Although the sculptor had poor experiences with the Mint and its chief engraver, Charles E. Barber, Saint-Gaudens accepted Roosevelt's call. The work was subject to considerable delays, due to Saint-Gaudens's declining health and difficulties because of the high relief of his design. Saint-Gaudens died in 1907, after designing the eagle and double eagle, but before the designs were finalized for production.
1787 Brasher Doubloon EB on Wing
The Brasher Doubloon is a rare American coin, privately minted in and after 1787.
1804 Class III Silver Dollar
The 1804 Silver Dollar is an extremely rare United States coin with very limited production in the 1830s and 1860s, long after its face date. As there are only a total of fifteen genuine 1804 Silver Dollars known, it is not too difficult to determine which can be considered to be the finest known. Eight comprise Class I, which were minted in 1834. Two Class I specimens trace their lineage to the King of Siam and the Sultan of Muscat. One comprises Class II and six comprise Class III and were minted sometime between 1858 to 1860. It is alleged both Class II and Class III specimens were made clandestinely by Mint officials. Due to the nature of their rarity, some have been sold for high dollar figures. Replicas andcounterfeits exist, some meant to deceive collectors, while others are made to offer a cheap substitute for the real and more expensive coins.
Sweden Three Skilling Banco, Yellow Color Error
The three skilling stamp (yellow color error) was issued in Sweden in 1855. Due to a printing error, this stamp is printed on yellow colored paper (meant for the eight skilling stamp of the same set) instead of the usual green color (used for the three skilling stamp). One copy of the yellow error variety of this stamp was found in 1885 by a young Swedish boy in his grandfather's collection. It is a one-of -a- kind rarity, as no other copies have been discovered to date. In 1996 the stamp was sold to an anonymous collector for $2.3 million at auction.
Post Office Mauritius
In 1847, the Governor of the Mauritius Island, a British colony located in the Indian Ocean, decided to issue the colony's first postal stamps. A local watchmaker from the capital city of Port Louis was awarded a contract to produce two stamps - a one penny stamp and a two pence stamp. In the course preparing to print the stamps, the watchmaker erroneously engraved the words "Post Office" instead of the correct words "Post Paid" on the stamps. By the time the error was discovered, over 200 copies of the stamps had already been printed and sold. It is estimated that fewer than 30 individual copies of these stamps have survived and they are valued at between $600,000 or more depending on the condition of the particular stamp being sold. In 1993 a cover bearing 2 of these stamps sold for a whopping $3.8 million, the highest price ever paid any philatelic item.
U.S. Franklin Z-Grill
This stamp is the rarest of all U.S. stamps, as only 2 copies are known to exist. These stamps depict a portrait of Benjamin Franklin and are embossed with a "Z-Grill" - being a pattern of tiny squares embossed into the paper and visible on the back of the stamps. The purpose of the "Z-Grill" was to permit the canceling ink to be absorbed into the stamp paper thus preventing those who wanted to cheat the post from washing out cancellation marks. The use of "Z-Grills" was not found to be practical and the practice was soon discontinued. An 1868 1 cent "Z-Grill" stamp sold for $930,000 in 1988.
back to topHawaiian Missionaries
In 1851 Hawaii issued its first stamps. These stamps are now referred to as the "Hawaiian Missionaries" because they were frequently used by American missionaries on the islands to send letters back to the continental United States. The new stamps were printed in Honolulu in three denominations (2 cent, 5 cent, and 13 cent). Because the first "Hawaiian Missionaries" were crudely engraved and printed on thin and poor quality paper, very few of these stamps have survived and they are extreme rarities. The lowest denomination, the 1851 two cent, is the rarest of the set, with only about 16 copies known to exist today. A 2 cent Missionary is valued at about $760,000 in unused condition and about $225,000 used.
British Guiana One Cent Black on Magenta
For a very long time, the 1856 one-cent "Black on Magenta" of British Guiana was considered to be the world's rarest and most expensive stamp. In 1856, the former colony of British Guiana was in urgent need of an additional supply of stamps, and could not wait from a fresh stock of new stamps to arrive from England, where they were normally produced. The postmaster of British Guiana asked the publishers of the Official Gazette newspaper in Georgetown to print an emergency issue of stamps for local use. Rather crude looking stamps were printed in one cent and four cent denominations. The one cent stamps were to be used as postage for newspapers and the four cent stamps were intended for use on letters. The stamps were printed on poor quality paper in black ink on magenta coloured paper. The stamps depicted a sailing ship together with the name "British Guiana" and an inscription of the colony's Latin motto "Damus Petimus que Vicissim" ("We Give and We Seek in Return"). The stamps had a rectangular shape with the corners snipped off. With the corners clipped off, the stamps actually have more of an octagonal shape. Each stamp was initialed by a post office employee, as a security measure against possible forgeries. Production of these stamps did not last for very long. In 1873, a 12-year local boy discovered an octagon-shaped one cent "Black on Magenta", postmarked April 4, 1856, and bearing the initials "E.D.W" in his family's attic. He later sold the stamp to N. R. McKinnon, a local stamp collector, for a small sum. Over the years it became apparent that this stamp was unique, as no other copy was ever discovered. In 1980 it was auctioned to John Dupont for $935,000.
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