North American Auction Company
Live Auction

Native & Western: Fine Beadwork, Navajo Rugs & Cowboy Collection

Sat, Oct 10, 2026 11:00AM EDT
  2026-10-10 11:00:00 2026-10-10 11:00:00 America/New_York North American Auction Company North American Auction Company : Native & Western: Fine Beadwork, Navajo Rugs & Cowboy Collection https://live.naabid.com/auctions/north-american-auction/native-western-fine-beadwork-navajo-rugs-cowboy-collection-25189
Join North American Auction Company on October 10th for our Native & Western: Fine Beadwork, Navajo Rugs & Cowboy Collection Auction. The collection includes a fine early Native American Beadwork collection, early and historic Native American Weapons, fine Western Firearms, Western Art, Navajo Jewelry, Cowboy Parade Saddles and more. Visit Live.Naabid.com
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Lot 731

19th-C. Montana Trade & Gambling Tokens

Estimate: $100 - $150
Starting Bid
$50

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$50 $10
$100 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$25,000 $2,500
$100,000 $5,000
The lot features four 1800's Montana trade tokens from the Grand Union Hotel Spitzley & Travers Fort Benton, George Welcome Gardiner and John P. Pozega Anaconda; as well as two 1760-1875 Chinese / Oriental gambling tokens, also from Montana. First is the Grand Union Hotel Spitzley & Travers Props. Fort Benton, M.T. (Montana Territory) Good Fort 1 Drink token, founded in 1882 the Grand Union Hotel in Fort Benton was a luxury establishment before the railroad expansion as a steamboat hub. Stephen S. Spitzley was a Civil War veteran and German-born immigrant arriving in the U.S. in 1848 and serving in the 27th Michigan Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. Next there are two George Welcome Gardiner, Mont. Good for 12 1/2 cents In Trade tokens. George Welcome was a prominent figure in late-19th-century Gardiner, Montana, serving as the town's sheriff for many years before later operating a saloon and restaurant. According to the 1889 Bradstreet directory, Welcome was listed as a saloon and restruant operator. Next is a John B. Pozega 722 E. Third St. Anaconda, Mont. Good For 10 cents In Trade token. John B. Pozega (1886-1923) was born in Austria and later died in Anaconda, Montana in 1920 at the age of 36, where he is interred at Mount Carmel Cemetery. Lastly are two Oriental / Chinese porcelain gambling tokens these were exumed in Montana many years ago and show round disks with remnants of original paint and engraving. These date to circa 1760 to 1875 and were used by the Asian men who worked in the Gold Rush era of Montana and across the west in the railroads, mines, and in towns. First documentation of Chienese men working in Montana is recorded in 1863 Bannack, Montana Territory and first newspaper record in 1865 Virginia City, Montana Territory.

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