Kolbe & Fanning
Auction 164 27 Aug 2022
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An Impressive Set of Hesslein Catalogues
Hesslein, William. NUMISMATIC AUCTION SALES. Boston, 1923-1931. Thirty-nine different Hesslein auction catalogues. Includes the following: Adams Nos. 101-118, 120-121, 123 and 126-144. 8vo, original printed paper covers, Sale 109 hand-priced in pencil. Also present are copies of Hesslein's fixed price lists 18, 20, 26 and 27. Generally very good. A strong collection of these very scarce catalogues, from Hesslein's mature period. Hesslein's sales were long neglected, but numismatists have begun to recognize that the sales are worth examining. Hesslein himself was a bit of an enigma. Adams wrote of him that "history is cruel to the petty crook. If one robs or extorts on only a modest scale, there are no Boswells and there are no film rights. Such was the fate of William Hesslein; by absconding with but small money, he left no biography behind him... In January 1923, Hesslein moved into public auctions in a serious way. The tenth sale in this run (February 6-7, 1925) is denominated 'One Hundredth and Tenth' by the author. Were there really eighty-three auction sales conducted between No. 17 (1916) and No. 101 (1923)? Did Mr. H. later decide to count both auctions and fixed price lists for purposes of self-aggrandizement? However many missing catalogs will some day be found, we are inclined to believe that Mr. H. fibbed a little and lied a lot." Ex Cardinal Collection Library.
(Estimate: $600)
Hesslein, William. NUMISMATIC AUCTION SALES. Boston, 1923-1931. Thirty-nine different Hesslein auction catalogues. Includes the following: Adams Nos. 101-118, 120-121, 123 and 126-144. 8vo, original printed paper covers, Sale 109 hand-priced in pencil. Also present are copies of Hesslein's fixed price lists 18, 20, 26 and 27. Generally very good. A strong collection of these very scarce catalogues, from Hesslein's mature period. Hesslein's sales were long neglected, but numismatists have begun to recognize that the sales are worth examining. Hesslein himself was a bit of an enigma. Adams wrote of him that "history is cruel to the petty crook. If one robs or extorts on only a modest scale, there are no Boswells and there are no film rights. Such was the fate of William Hesslein; by absconding with but small money, he left no biography behind him... In January 1923, Hesslein moved into public auctions in a serious way. The tenth sale in this run (February 6-7, 1925) is denominated 'One Hundredth and Tenth' by the author. Were there really eighty-three auction sales conducted between No. 17 (1916) and No. 101 (1923)? Did Mr. H. later decide to count both auctions and fixed price lists for purposes of self-aggrandizement? However many missing catalogs will some day be found, we are inclined to believe that Mr. H. fibbed a little and lied a lot." Ex Cardinal Collection Library.
(Estimate: $600)