Annual New Year’s Sale at Nest Egg Auctions Spotlights Historical American Memorabilia

Nest Egg Auctions’ Annual New Year’s Auction, scheduled for December 30, 2023, will bring a wide variety of jewelry, timepieces, ephemera, and collectibles to the market. Featured lots range from Art Deco-style Egyptian Revival bracelets to a rare $1,000 bill featuring a portrait of Grover Cleveland. Of particular note is a selection of medals, memorabilia, and ephemera from different periods of American history. 

Check out some of the key historical American memorabilia lots in this sale before placing a bid.

Civil War Commemorative Items

A grouping of over 330 medals and ribbons commemorating the American Civil War will be available in the upcoming auction in a single lot. Most of the awards relate to Connecticut-based fighting units and organizations, and they are organized by regiment in protective sleeves. The collection comes to auction with an estimate of USD 4,000 to $6,000 (lot #9). 

Lasting just over four years, from 1861 and 1865, the United States experienced its first and only civil war. The fierce and bloody conflict concerned the expansion and existence of slavery, dividing the country along North-South lines. Connecticut was a Union state at the time of the war, having outlawed slavery in 1848 and serving as a hub for prominent abolitionists. It produced artillery and firearms for the Union Army and Navy during the war. Connecticut also furnished 30 full infantry regiments, including groups that fought in the trans-Mississippi theater of the war in the “New England Brigade.”

Prop Plane Signed by Tuskegee Airmen

Another key historical American memorabilia lot in the upcoming sale is a parade prop plane signed by 12 members of the Tuskegee Airmen. This mid-20th-century foam and plastic model P-51 Mustang Fighter Plane would have been attached to a metal rod and carried in a parade. It comes to auction with an estimate of $1,000 to $2,000 (lot #10). The North American P-51 Mustang was a single-seat fighter plane used during World War II and the Korean War. Some of the Tuskegee Airmen painted their planes’ tails red, earning them the nickname “Red Tails.” 

The famed Tuskegee Airmen were a group of Black American airmen who fought admirably in World War II. At the time, the American military was segregated, and discrimination against Black service members was widespread. Despite these injustices, the Tuskegee Airmen became the first Black American military aviators in history and were among the most skilled and most prestigious pilots in the U. S. Army Air Force. The Airmen have since collectively been awarded a Congressional Gold Medal and numerous other honors.

Wanted Posters

Collectors interested in historical American memorabilia can also consider a collection of wanted posters published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and United States Postal Inspection Service from the mid-1960s to the late 1970s. These posters are presented in a single lot of 43 posters and 86 square fold-outs. Notable figures shown on the wanted posters include Katherine Ann Power (who was wanted for bank robberies in the 1970s) and William Bradford Bishop Jr. (who remains wanted by the FBI for the murders of his family in 1976). The collection comes to auction with an estimate of $500 to $1,500 (lot #291). 

The wanted poster format has a long history in the United States, stretching back to the days of the Old West. It was formalized by the FBI with “Identification Orders,” or IOs, that began to be distributed to law enforcement agencies and the public around 1919. Square fold-outs, including the style featured in this auction, grew in prominence during the 1920s. The FBI created its “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list in the 1950s, prompting even wider distribution of wanted posters. For years, these lists were displayed and distributed to the public at post offices. While displaying wanted posters has become less common in recent years, the USPS still maintains its Inspection Service, which enforces laws concerning the mail system.

The Annual New Year’s Auction from Nest Egg Auctions will begin at 1:00 PM EST on December 30, 2023. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Bidsquare. Find additional coverage of this sale on Auction Daily.