Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 79

World Leaders/Royalty

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 165		Castro, Fidel (Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz) (1926 -) Cuban revolutionary who overthrew the Batista regime in 1959 and assumed power; as Prime Minister (1959-76) and as President from 1976 to 2008, when failing health prompted him to turn over the reins to his brother Raúl. Book inscribed in Spanish and signed, "To the young people of the Centennial, to those who continue to keep alive the ideas of our Apostle. Fidel Castro" Signed on the dedication page of the paperback: Recuerdos del Moncada [Memories of Moncada] by Mario Laxo Pérez, Havana, 1987, 190 pages. Moncada was the first armed action of the Cuban Revolution, which would triumph in 1959. On July 26, 1953, Fidel Castro and some 140 rebels attacked the federal garrison at Moncada, hoping to spark an uprising and furnish the insurrectionists with weapons from the barracks. The operation was a failure; many of the rebels were captured and executed. During the trial of Fidel and Raúl Castro, the country was riveted by Fidel's defense that he was only being a good citizen by trying to overthrow a tyrant, and by his cry, "History will absolve me!" The "Apostle" to whom Fidel refers is José Martí (1853-95), one of the major figures in the struggle for Cuban independence from Spain and who wanted to prevent Cuba from falling under the sway of the United States. The attack on the garrison at Moncada took place 100 years (a centennial) after the birth of Martí. Estimated Value $2,000 - 3,000. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 166		Churchill, Sir Winston S (1874-1975) English statesman, soldier, and author; Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the Second World War; winner of the 1953 Nobel Prize in Literature. Typed message signed as Prime Minister on official stationery, one page, 9½" x 7½", 10 Downing Street, Whitehall, 1954. Headed "National Conference, Held at Council House, Birmingham on Saturday, 2nd October, 1954," Churchill sends the following message: "I send my greetings to the Annual Conference of the South African War Veterans' Association of which I have the honour to be a Vice-President. May the comradeship we shared as young men on the South African Veld, more than half a century ago, always unite us. When the Boer War ended a magnanimous settlement opened an outstanding period of good will between Britain and South Africa. May this long continue to bring prosperity to the wide and sunlit lands which we shall never forget. Winston S. Churchill." One punch hole at upper left and uneven toning; blank bottom two inches have been folded under, concealing a thin at lower left corner and a tear at lower right corner. In 1899, Churchill went to South Africa as war correspondent for the Morning Post to cover the Boer War. He was caught in an ambush of an armored train and captured by Boer soldiers on November 18. Sent to a POW camp in Pretoria, he managed to climb over a prison wall on December 12 and began a 300-mile escape with the help of a mine manager. Instead of returning home, where his escape had gained national attention, he joined General Redvers Buller's army on its march to relieve the British at the Siege of Ladysmith and to take Pretoria. As a member of the South African Light Horse, he was among the first British troops into Ladysmith and Pretoria. Churchill wrote about his Boer War experiences in London to Ladysmith via Pretoria (1900). He also devoted several chapters to his Boer War experiences in his 1930 autobiography, My Early Life. Estimated Value $4,000 - 6,000. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 167		Churchill, Sir Winston S. Typed letter signed, 1p, 8 x 5", Chartwell, Westerham, Kent, Dec. 9, 1958. To T. Radcliffe, thanking him for sending "such an agreeable gift. The snipe arrived in perfect condition and were excellent. Thank you so much for your thought of me on my birthday." Churchill had just reached his 84th birthday on Nov. 30th and spent most of his time at Chartwell. Very good; age toning, one small punch hole affecting phone number, small closed tear at top edge, small mounting remnants at top and bottom edges, and some scattered spotting. Churchill's signature has faded to brown but is quite legible. Estimated Value $900 - 1,200. The Arden Family Holdings of Beverly Hills. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 168		Díaz, Porfirio (1830-1915) Mexican dictator for 35 years (1877-1911); he died in exile after being overthrown by Francisco Madero. A beautiful, ornate, partly-printed document signed as President, 1p, Mexico City, May 1, 1879, 16½" x 11¼". Naming C. Ferdinando Gómez Puente as a tax minister: "Defensor fiscal de testamentarías é intestados." A vignette of the eagle holding a snake covers much of the top third of the document, to which are affixed three revenue stamps. A pale blue folded seal is at bottom left. Diaz' signature is quite large and of medium boldness. Minor toning, else fine. Matted and framed to an overall size of 25½" x 20". Estimated Value $200 - 300. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 169		Gorbachev, Michail (1931 -) Soviet President and Nobel Peace Prize Winner (1990); he made many reforms in the Soviet Union, embracing Perestroika and Glasnost. Photo signed in black marker across his white shirt and dark suit, 11¾ x 8¼", n.p., n.d. (penciled note on verso has 14.8.78 as the date). A head-and-shoulders shot. Fine. Estimated Value $150 - 200. The Arden Family Holdings of Beverly Hills. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $120
Lot 170		Guevara, Ernesto "Che" (1928-1967) Argentine-born revolutionary who played a prominent role in the Cuban Revolution (1956-59). Trained as a physician, he was a theoretician and tactician of guerrilla warfare, and a guerrilla leader in South America. After his execution by the Bolivian army, he was regarded as a martyred hero by generations of leftists, and his image became an icon of leftist radicalism and anti-imperialism. Typed letter signed "Che" as Head of the Department of Training for the Ministry of Armed Revolutionary Forces (MFAR), 1p, in Spanish, on letterhead of the "Rebel" Army of the Republic of Cuba, November 27, 1959, "Year of Liberation." To the local commander of the Armed Revolutionary Forces, by order of Raúl Castro, Minister of the MFAR, prohibiting the printing of pamphlets outside of the Department of Training of the Armed Revolutionary Forces. With official stamp of the Revolunary Navy. Light soiling and folds, else very good. Estimated Value $1,500 - 2,000. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $1,740
Lot 171		Juárez, Benito (1806-1872). Mexican revolutionary and statesman. Mexico's first ruler of indigenous ancestry, he worked to make Mexico a constitutional democracy. The French invasion under Maximilian forced him to retreat from Mexico City to the northern section of Mexico, where he directed the resistance until Maximilian's defeat in 1867. Partly printed document signed as Acting President of Mexico, National Palace of Mexico, 1p, in Spanish, 17" x 12½", March 1861. Small fold separations, else fine. Matted and framed to an overall size of 26" x 21½". Juárez and his cabinet acknowledge with gratitude the service of Antonio P. Fapias, 2nd lieutenant of cavalry, who fought in 1858, '59, and '60, and who "had the glory of saving his country," being part of the forces that seized the capital of the Republic from those who for 40 years had considered themselves privileged classes. Juárez was elected President in his own right the same month this document was issued. Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,500. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 172		Juárez, Benito. Letter signed as President of Mexico, 1p, in Spanish, 10½ x 8¼", Mexico, June 11, 1868. To General Mariano Escobedo (1926-1902) in Querétaro, where the general had defeated the invading French troops and captured emperor Maximilian I in 1867. During Juárez' presidency, Escobedo was named commander-in-chief of the northern zone and after the restoration of the Mexican republic, he was governor of several states and military secretary in 1875, as well as president of the Supreme Court of Military Justice. Juárez writes in part, "…It makes me very happy that in your opinion you are at the point of ending the campaign…because…we will have finished with the last seed of rebellion. Also the little scandal of Puebla has to play out to its end since Gen. Alatorre already occupied without difficulty Tezuitlan and was marching on Zacapoaxtla…" Gen. Ignacio Alatorre (1832-1899) had been sent by Juárez to put down a rebellion in Puebla. Fine condition. Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,500. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $627
Lot 173		Mandela, Nelson (1918-2013) South African anti-aparteid revolutionary; first black president of South Africa (1994-99); co-recipient (with Frederik Willem de Klerk) of the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize. Color photo signed ("Mandela") and dated "13-11-04," 8¼ x 11¾", A head-and-shoulders portrait, signed in black marker. Estimated Value $400 - 600. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $690
Lot 174		Maximillian (1832-1867) Archduke of Austria and Emperor of Mexico (1864-67). He was offered the throne under French auspices but after the U.S. refused recognition and Napoleon III ordered the withdrawal of French troops, Maximilian was besieged by Juárez at Querétaro and captured on May 15, 1867; he was summarily court martialed and shot. Manuscript document signed as Emperor, 1p, in Spanish, 10¼" x 8", Mexico, April 15, 1866. Addressed to the Minister of Foreign and Marine Affairs, naming his representative to the Imperial Court at Austria, D. Gregorio Barandiarán, as Envoy Extraordinary for a special mission to the King of Saxony and presenting to the King the insignias of the Grand Cross with the necklace of the Imperial Order of the Mexican Eagle (not present). Bold signature. Matted with an image of Maximilian and elaborately framed to an overall size of 23" x 25½". Fine. Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,200. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $930
Lot 175		[French Revolution] Decree of the French National Convention Establishing the Design for the French Flag. Printed decree titled DÉCRET DE LA CONVENTION NATIONAL, 2½pp, 9¾ x 7¾", 27 Pluviôse, Year II (15 Feb. 1794), establishing the design of the Flag of France, specifying colors and their position and dimensions, according to a design made by artist Jacques-Louis David. The tricolor has been the official flag of France since this 1794 decree. In part: "The national flag shall be formed of the three national colors, set in three equal bands, vertically arranged so that the blue is nearest to the staff, the white in the middle and the red flying in the air…." The text is certified as accurate in seven holograph lines by Jean-Baptiste Dannery, French Consul in Boston. He signs and dates 12 June, 1794. Also signed by Boston lawyer John Jutau. Paper seal of the French Revolutionary Government present, showing Phrygian bonnet or "Liberty Cap." Very good; overall toning, show-through from holograph text and some iron-gall burns. Estimated Value $900 - 1,000. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $1,050
Lot 176		George III. Letter signed ("George R"), 1p, 12½x 8", Court of St. James, May 31, 1771. In German. Untranslated. Estimated Value $600 - 800. The Arden Family Holdings of Beverly Hills. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $576
Lot 177		George III (1738-1820) King of Great Britain and Ireland (1760-1820) during the America Revolution. Document signed ("George R") as King, 5pp, 14¾ x 9½", Oct. 7, 1790, approving the salaries of the servants of "Their Royal Highnesses Princes William, Edward, Ernest Augustus and Adolphus" for the quarter ended in July. Listings are for two Governors, Gen. de Bude and Horace Hayes, five Preceptors, four Pages of the Backstairs, a Purveyor, maidservants for Princes William and Edward, a housekeeper, watchman, one captain, four clergymen, a pagesman, table decker, butler, and porter. An extraordinary look behind the scenes of the royal palace. Toning, else fine, with a very strong signature. At the time of this document, George, the oldest prince who would become George IV, was already married. When he died in 1830 with no surviving heirs, his brother William, named here, became William IV, but had no children with his wife so Edward's daughter, Victoria, became Queen and an entire era was named after her. Ernest, named here, became King of Hanover because of Salic Law, which barred women (therefore Victoria) from the succession. Adolphus was a field marshal during the Napoleonic Wars. Estimated Value $600 - 800. The Arden Family Holdings of Beverly Hills. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 178		Marie Josephine Louise of Savoy, Titular Queen of France (1753-1810) As wife of Louis Stanislaus Xavier, Count of Provence and brother to Louis XVI, she became titular queen of France in 1795 when young Louis Charles, only son of Louis XVI, died while imprisoned in the Temple and her husband became titular king, Louis XVIII; she died in exile in England in 1810 before he ascended the throne in 1814. Document signed, 1p, 12¼ x 8", n.p., 1789, agreeing to a request from her valet de pied for an intermediate order for pay, from Jan. 20, 1784 through October 31, 1789. Some toning, else fine. On Oct. 5, 1789, the royal family had been taken from their palace at Versailles and forcibly relocated to the Tuileries Palace in Paris. Marie Josephine and the Count of Provence, who were living in the Luxembourg palace, escaped to the Austrian Netherlands in 1791, in the same operation that led to the royal family�s failed Flight to Varennes and ultimate execution. Estimated Value $200 - 300. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $166
Lot 179		Napoleon I (1769-1821) Brilliant general known as the "Little Corporal"; self-crowned emperor of the French. Letter signed ("Np"), 1½pp, in French, 9 x 7¼", Paris, Jan. 24, 1812. Napoleon writes to General Lacuée, Count of Cessac, who was the Minister of War Administration, informing him of the Emperor's intentions regarding the horses and supplies for the Grand Army. He describes in detail the equipment and food that will furnish enough rations for an army of 200,000 men for nearly two months. He writes that he had decreed that day the formation of the 14th, 15th, 20th, and 21st battalions and that conscription would furnish enough men to fill all of the battalions. Those battalions which remained behind, if the army made a move, would be able to carry the clothing effects of the convoys scheduled to leave the 15th of March and the 1st of April. Napoleon writes 16 days after the surrender of Valencia, the high-point of French success in Spain. Ten days earlier, on Jan. 14, 1812, Napoleon decided to withdraw the Infantry of the Guard and all Polish troops from Spain, in preparation for the invasion of Russia, just as Wellington was going on the offensive. Estimated Value $1,500 - 2,000. The Arden Family Holdings of Beverly Hills. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $1,620
Lot 180		Napoleon I. Document with endorsement signed ("N") as Emperor, in the left margin of the first page, 3pp, in French, 11¾ x 8", St. Cloud, July 24, 1811 on a formal report from the Ministry of War, Artillery Bureau, which is signed by the Minister of War, the Duc du Feltre, July 23, 1811. During the Peninsula Campaign, the Duke reports to the Emperor regarding the logistics of horses being sent from Bayonne to Burgos and from Burgos to the armies of the Midi and of Portugal. Napoleon approves the war minister's plans. Fine. Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,500. The Arden Family Holdings of Beverly Hills. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $1,076
Lot 181		[Napoleon] Letitia Ramolino Bonaparte (1750-1836) Napoleon's mother, known as "Madame Mère." Letter written in French and signed in Italian ("Vostra affetissima Madre"), 2pp, 9½ x 7½", Rome, 30 April 1822. To her eldest son JOSEPH BONAPARTE (1768-1844) who lived primarily in the United States from 1817-1832, with news of various family members. The letter has been silked for conservation. The first few lines of text are light but legible. Very good. Translated in part: "It's been quite some time since I've received any letters from you and I very much miss not hearing from you. I've been sick…but at the moment I'm feeling better. I had the consolation of embracing Jerome [her former son, former King of Westphalia)…I'm waiting for him and his children to return any day now. For some time we've been expecting the arrival of his son Jerome from America…He's probably given you news of me in person. He was also the bearer of a box that I sent you that contained my portrait, a bonnet, and a shawl for Charlotte [Joseph's daughter]. I'm waiting for your answer to the letter he transmitted to you; these are urgent matters. I've written you what I think about the marriage of Zenaide [Joseph's eldest daughter] and Charles [her grandson Charles Lucien Bonaparte, 2nd Prince Canino, a distinguished biologist and ornithologist. He named the genus Zenaida (Mourning Dove and its relatives) for his wife]. Charles has gone to Brussels with Lucien [Letitia's son, Prince Canino]…The marriage…will take place near the end of May. Pauline [her daughter, Princess Borghese, the most loyal of Napoleon's sisters] left this morning for Via Reggio…Louis [her son, the former King of Holland] leaves tomorrow for Florence and I'll be alone in Rome with the Cardinal [her half-brother and close advisor, Joseph Cardinal Fesch]. Adieu, my very dear son. Give me news of yourself more often because your long silence always causes me great anxiety. I embrace you tenderly with Charlotte (she might well write me also) and I am Your most affectionate Mother." Napoleon, her second son, had died in exile on the island of Saint Helena almost a year earlier, on 5 May 1821. Estimated Value $2,000 - 2,500. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 182		Nicholas II (1868-1918) Last emperor of Russia (1894-1917). He was deposed by the Russian Revolution of 1917 and killed with his wife (Alexandra, granddaughter of Queen Victoria) and their children. Menu (printed in French) for a dinner held June 18, 1912, signed in pencil in the upper left corner. Menu has royal embossed initials at top. Light staining, else fine. Estimated Value $400 - 600. The Arden Family Holdings of Beverly Hills. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $990
Lot 183		Paul I (1754-1801) Czar of Russia (1796-1801), son of Catherine the Great. Assassinated; considered a saint and martyr by some. Autograph letter signed ("Paul"), 1p, in French, St. Petersburg, Jan. 2, 1781. Fine. Probably to General Christoph von Benckendorff. Benckendorff's mother, a lady-in-waiting to Paul's wife Maria Feodorovna (called Sophie Dorothea before her marriage) accompanied her to Russia from Württemberg. Benckendorff's wife (Anne Juliane Schillling von Canstatt), was a close friend of Maria Feodorovna's. Paul thanks "Monsieur" for his good wishes for the New Year and wishes him the same. He expresses his gratitude for the good services of "Madame your mother" and of his correspondent also and adds, " Please convey my good wishes for the New Year to Madame and believe me your affectionate Paul." Estimated Value $700 - 800. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $2,640
Lot 184		Victoria (1819-1901) Queen of Great Britain (1837-1901) during Britain's great age of industrial expansion, economic progress and empire. Manuscript document signed as Queen, 4pp, 12½ x 8", St. James Palace, Mar. 19, 1858. Giving John Linton Arabin Simmons leave to accept the French Legion of Honor awarded to him by French Emperor Napoleon III "in testimony of His Imperial Majesty's approbation of your distinguished services before the enemy during the late war. We being graciously pleased to approve thereof…give and grant unto you…our Royal Licence and Authority that you may avail yourself of the said mark of His Imperial Majesty's favor and accept and wear the said insignia…." Fine. Countersigned by Home Secretary H.S. Walpole. Accompanied by the actual French order awarding Simmons the Legion of Honor, signed by the order's grandchancellor, the Duc de Plaisance, and two further letters in French to Simmons transmitting the award, signed by Counts Walewski and Persigny. Also included is a lengthy printed biography of Simmons which gives great detail of Simmons' Crimean War service. Count Walewski was Napoleon's natural son by Madame Walewska and a noted naturalized French statesman; Count Persigny was later Ambassador to Great Britain. Estimated Value $600 - 800. The Arden Family Holdings of Beverly Hills. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold