Coin pilgrimages

[shirohniichan]

How many of us have taken trips to the origins of our favorite coins?

 

My first trade dollar was an 1875-CC I/I in AU58 with one distinct chopmark on it, and it got me hooked on both trade dollars and chopmarks. Recently I took a trip to its source... at least I think so. Not only did I visit the Nevada State Museum (formerly the Carson City Mint), but I also went to see the Comstock in Virginia City and Gold Hill. Most likely the source of the bullion for the coin was somewhere on Mt. Davidson, but there's no way to say for sure if it came from there. If it did, did it come from the Consolidated Virginia Silver Mine? The Chollar? The Yellow Jacket? The Ophir? Maybe it came from one of the smaller mines in California. Who knows? The funny thing is that the bullion used to strike my 1875-S trade dollars most likely came from the Comstock, also, via the Virginia and Truckee Railroad.

 

Anyway, my quest to learn more about the coin led me to the mint and the mining districts. Has anyone else here taken such a trip? Where did you go?

[physics-fan3.14]

I have not taken such a trip, but it sounds quite interesting!

 

And actually, you can know pretty well where your coin came from, with adequate testing. Weimar White, in his book Coin Chemistry, talks about using spectography to identify trace elements present in the coin, and comparing it to analyses of ore samples you can trace which mines it came from. The new PCGS "sniffer" sounds like it may have this ability, I'm not entirely sure.

[cpm9ball]

I lived in Reno back in 82/83, and I made the rounds of all of the historic sites, but the one that was most interesting to me was the Silver Queen in Virginia City. It was an old 1870's saloon that is now a very small casino with nothing more than a few dozen slot machines, but it is remarkable for two reasons.

 

On one wall is a huge, oversized portrait-like mural of a saloon girl standing in her flowing gown. It is behind several large sheets of plexi-glas because the entire gown is embedded with more than 3500 Morgan dollars. Gold coins make up her belt and bracelet.

 

In the back of the room is a poker table aptly called the "Suicide Table". The story goes that in the early years of the saloon, two of the former owners on different occasions got into a high stakes poker game using the saloon as collateral and lost. The saloon was worth about $200,000 which was a sizeable sum in those days. After losing everything, both of those owners committed suicide.

 

Chris

[TomB]

We've gone to the Saint Gaudens National Historic Site many times and it is a terrific trip.

[physics-fan3.14]

We've gone to the Saint Gaudens National Historic Site many times and it is a terrific trip.

 

Speaking of which, I noticed in a recent ad that Roger Burdette will be giving a presentation at the St. Gaudens Site - about St. Gaudens! Its part of the upcoming ANA show. Man I wish I could be there for that!

[JJSingleton]

I guess I live my pilgrimage. My mountain home is about 11 miles as the crow flies from the site where the Branch Mint at Dahlonega stood. My house sits on one of the 40 acre gold lots that were highly sought in the 1832 Land Lottery. Just over the ridge within a mile of my house are the headwaters of Yahoola Creek and the Etowah River. Both known for their large placer deposits. I have hiked the area trails, canoed the area creeks and rivers, all of which were once filled with prospectors in search of the yellow metal that drew them here.

 

I have taken a great interest in both the Dahlonega Mint and the Dahlonega Gold Rush. I work as a volunteer at the Dahlonega Gold Museum where I get to learn from the best of the local historians and get to share my learning with the American Public.

 

It is not just my personal pilgrimage, but it is kind of a pilgrimage for my coins as well. They rest comfortably in a Safe Deposit box a few hundred yards from where they were minted. In a way I feel some pleasure and comfort in that I have brought them back home.

[comicdonna]

I guess I live my pilgrimage. My mountain home is about 11 miles as the crow flies from the site where the Branch Mint at Dahlonega stood. My house sits on one of the 40 acre gold lots that were highly sought in the 1832 Land Lottery. Just over the ridge within a mile of my house are the headwaters of Yahoola Creek and the Etowah River. Both known for their large placer deposits. I have hiked the area trails, canoed the area creeks and rivers, all of which were once filled with prospectors in search of the yellow metal that drew them here.

 

I have taken a great interest in both the Dahlonega Mint and the Dahlonega Gold Rush. I work as a volunteer at the Dahlonega Gold Museum where I get to learn from the best of the local historians and get to share my learning with the American Public.

 

It is not just my personal pilgrimage, but it is kind of a pilgrimage for my coins as well. They rest comfortably in a Safe Deposit box a few hundred yards from where they were minted. In a way I feel some pleasure and comfort in that I have brought them back home.

Did you ever search and/or find gold?

[JJSingleton]

Did you ever search and/or find gold?

I have a creek on the property and a couple of pans. When friends come with their kids I will show them how it is done and let them go at it. We find some interesting gemstones and quartz but no signs of gold.

 

There are still folks who come up here to the National Forest and do some prospecting, but I am not one of them. You need a lot of patience, and that pretty much counts me out.

[comicdonna]

Did you ever search and/or find gold?

I have a creek on the property and a couple of pans. When friends come with their kids I will show them how it is done and let them go at it. We find some interesting gemstones and quartz but no signs of gold.

 

There are still folks who come up here to the National Forest and do some prospecting, but I am not one of them. You need a lot of patience, and that pretty much counts me out.

I have always wanted to combine a vacation with prospecting for gold.