MONTANA
670. Montana Silver Ingot, MT c 1870-1895
Small silver decorative ingot with loop on one end, so that it could be used as a watch fob ingot which was a very common practice during the 19th Century. Engraved with “Montana” on one side and “G.A.R.” (Grand Army of The Republic) on the other side. It was clearly owned by a Union Soldier, later living in Montana. The ingot weighs less than one ounce and is less than 1” long x 1/4 x 1/4”. This ingot probably dates from c 1870 to 1895. $6,500.
671. Butte. Map of Mining Claims Book, Butte, MT - 1916
This bound volume, “Map of Mining Claims, Butte and Vicinity, Montana” was published by Harper, MacDonald & Co., Butte, Montana. This volume measures 5” x 9” and contains a cloth backed fold out map approximately 40” x 48”, and the dark red cloth cover shows some wear to the spine and corners. Fine condition. No photograph. $850.
672. Butte. Alice Gold and Silver Mining Company Correspondence, Butte, MT c 1880-1906
This document archive contains about one half cubic foot of letters regarding the daily operation of the mine. The correspondence primarily is addressed to various mine Superintendents and signed by either the company President, Joseph Walker or a secretary. This mine was one of the principal financial sources of the Walker family fortune. A mining camp at the Alice Mine became known as Walkerville, Montana Territory. The company was based in Salt Lake City, where the Walkers turned their financial fortune into a bigger reward by creating the Walker Bros. Bank. This archive contains approximately 400 letters of between one and four pages each, most of which are dated between 1884 and 1896. Some of these letters include a valuation of the mine and mill, bullion shipments, daily operations and details of management issues. The letters are generally on fancy printed Alice GSMC Stationary. Generally Very Fine. No photograph. $5,000. Sold
673. Butte. Pacific Express Co. Bullion Shipping Receipt, Butte, MT 14-Jun 1895
Receipt for six bars of bullion from the Alice Gold & Silver Mining Co. sent to the Consolidated Kansas City Smelting & Refining Co. The Alice was a major mine at Butte. The company had an 80 stamp mill and it was one of several principal companies, including the Moulton and Anaconda Company. Extremely Fine. $150.
674. Butte. Fair Drug and Assay Supply Co. Business Card, Butte, MT c 1910
Four page folding business card for this Butte, Montana assay firm. Useful Notes For Miners on Business Card. Fine. $150. Sold
675. Helena. Bohm & Molitor, Helena, MT 19-Aug 1867
No.406 Bullion receipt for early gold produced in Montana Territory. This particular ingot was about 42 ounces, 892 fine. The Molitor named here is Stephen Molitor who was the son of A. Molitor of San Francisco. Rarity R8. Very Fine. $1,500. Sold
676. Helena. Assay Office of Charles Rumley, Helena, MT 17-Jun 1870
Assay report for two bullion bars of varying fineness. R8 rarity. The gold was assayed for J.C. Ricker. Rumley's Assay Office was established in 1862, according to the fine print on this receipt. Very Fine. $550. Sold
677. Helena. USAO - United States Assay Office, Helena, MT 19-Apr 1901
No. 1193 Gold Bullion Deposit receipt at the Helena, Montana Assay office for 19 oz of gold dust.
The Helena Assay Office was authorized in 1874 and opened in January 1877. It was an obvious choice for the US Mint system as a receiving site for gold from Montana miners. While a Branch Mint had been proposed in the 1860's, the treasury Department was unwilling to place such an important operation in what they viewed as isolated wilderness with an uncertain future.
With Montana mines producing significant amounts of gold and silver by the early 1870's, something had to be done to facilitate processing, since the nearest facilities were located at Denver. Bullion shipments through the Rocky Mountains were unpredictable, dangerous and costly, so the Federal Government responded by opening the USAO at Helena which was essentially located in the geographical center of Montana’s gold country. Within just a few years, Montana would lead the nation in copper production, and be the first place to experiment with large tonnage, low grade mining.
USAO Helena assay sheets are generally an R7 with 4-12 known.. Receipts before 1880 are unknown at this time. The author has seen only four Helena pieces over the past three decades. $375.
678. Helena. USAO - United States Assay Office, Helena, MT 5-Jun 1902
No. 1322 Gold Bullion Deposit Receipt for a small gold ingot (bar) submitted by James D. Leys in 1902. $375.
679. Madison County. Mining License Receipt, “Legal Brothel”, Madison County, MT 9-May 1866
No. 3795 Receipt to W. H. Morris for a “Hurdy Gurdy” house at Deer Lodge Montana in 1866. W.H. Morris was the proprietor. Signed by Robert Wiles, the County fee collector. This receipt is for fees paid for a legal brothel, another of the staples in a western gold mining camp. This piece was issued during the first part of the Montana gold rush and is a key rarity. $500.
Note: we have a related piece available. Please call for details and mention inventory item #106.
680. Madison County. Mining License Receipt, Madison County, MT 5-May 1865
No. 411 Receipt for a Virginia City, Montana gambling house issued to McNelly & Rowe, signed Thos. Muffly, the County fee collector. This 1865 receipt is an outstanding representation of western life depicting a view into western gambling’s legal side, which was more common at the time than most people are aware of today. This gaming and gold rush combination on a document is Very Rare. $500.
681. Phillipsburg. Northern Pacific Exp. Reward Poster, St. Paul, MN 11-Oct 1889
$500 Reward Poster regarding the theft of “two bars silver bullion”. These two bars, valued at $3,000 were stolen from the Northern Pacific Express Office at Phillipsburg, MT. Phillipsburg was named after prominent Comstock mining man Phillip Deidesheimer who was credited with the discovery of the square set timber process. H.H. Browning, General Superintendent. Reward posters for gold and silver bullion from western mining camps are Extremely Rare. This document is in fine condition but appears to have a period repair where the word “Express” was printed. Otherwise Fine. $3,500.
682. Pony. Miner's Union Broadside, Pony, MT 13-June 1913
This is a rare broadside for the Twelfth Annual Grand Ball of The Pony Miners and Millmen's Union #131 of the Western Federation of Miners (WFM) held at the Fraternity Hall. “Tickets $1.50 Midnight Supper Served at the Pony Hotel.” The WFM was the leading mining union in this part of Montana after about 1910, even though the Union had caused serious political damage throughout the western states during the fist decade of the 20th Century. The WFM was responsible for the murder of a former Idaho governor, and riots in Cripple Creek and Goldfield, Nevada. Just a month after this ball, the Union started the Michigan copper mine strike of 1913-1914. As a direct result of the WFM’s surly activity, the Pony Miners and Millmen's Union was organized in 1901. $400.
683. Virginia City. Bannock Ditch & Mining Co. Certificate of Deposit, Virginia City, MT Territory 1-Jul 1867
Gold dust deposit receipt for 156 oz, 6 dwt, 21 gr on H.D. & Co., Virginia City, MT Territory. signed by Trustee, J. Wall. The mines at Bannock were the first lode mines worked in Montana Territory, and the first to build a mill. (1862). The Bannock placers were discovered at Grasshopper Creek. This company built a ditch to supply water to nearby placer mines, which was expected to “give employment to a large number of miners”, according to Browne in his 1868 Resources of States and Territories West of the Rocky Mountains. Montana was different from other western states because gold dust was shipped east instead of west “up the Missouri River or across the plains.” Extremely Fine. No photograph. $150.