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COLORADO PART 8: Pitkin County through Summit County

PITKIN COUNTY

1841. Pitkin. Aspen. Argentum-Juniata MC. Incorporated in Iowa 1890. Issued to Chas. E. Perkins for 120 shares, cert #2554, in 1894. Signed by president Geo. B. Lobb and secretary Rich J. Bolles. Vignette at bottom center of several miners working underground (very crisp print). Fancy masthead. Green border and underprint. Uncancelled. 7 x 11. Printer - American Bank Note. Owns the Argentum, M & Y, Juniata, Oriental, Caribou, Golden Fleece, Amazon, Jessie C, Emolite and Cameron. Owned the mineral rights to several part of the town of Aspen. They built a concentrator in conjunction with the Mollie Gibson Co which was very profitable in its first year with a net return to Argentum-Juniata Co of nearly $55,000. "The annual and quarterly reports of the Argentum-Juniata company are the clearest and most complete of any issued by Colorado companies, furnishing the stockholders with the full information to which they are entitled." The Aspen district remained productive through 1962 producing $100,490,000 in silver, lead and zinc. (Horn & McMahan, p.10; Nolan, 1962) Extremely fine. Est. $50-150

1842. Pitkin. Aspen. Aspen Mining & Smelting Co. Incorporated in New York. Unissued, 18xx, cert #729, unsigned. Vignette of several Indian braves and women watching steam train whiz past on prairie towards a beautiful western sunset. Vignette along left edge of cross sectional view of mine shaft with miners working above and below ground. Green border and underprint. Aspen, Pitkin County, Colorado printed on certificate. 7 x 11. Printer - American Bank Note. Extremely fine. Est. $25-50

1843. Pitkin. Aspen. Aspen Mountain Tunnel & Drainage Co. Incorporated in West Virginia. Issued to M.D. Potter for 500 shares, cert #165, in 1893. Signed by president Walter Clark and secretary John McNeil. Fancy masthead. Black border with green background design. Uncancelled. 8 x 10. Printer - Hamilton Printing Co, Topeka. Slight wear along bottom edge. Located in Aspen, Pitkin County. (Dunbar, 1898) Very fine. Est. $50-150

1844. Pitkin. Aspen. Bushwhacker-Alpine MC. Incorporated in Colorado in 1911. Issued to James R. O'Hara for 60 shares, cert #66, in 1911. Signed by president David R. C. Brown and secretary Harry A. Brown. Vignette at upper left of spread winged eagle atop crag. Brown border. Uncancelled. 8 x 11. The company was consolidated with 5 others under the name Della S. Consolidated Mines Co. in 1925 with David R. Brown as Director(?), O. P. C. Brown as President and Secretary Harry A. Brown. The properties had a production record of $2.0 million from silver and lead bearing ore from 20 claims on 100 acres. Developed by two shafts of 1,200 ft each, and opened by the 14,000 ft Cowenhaven Tunnel to a depth of 2,300 ft with several miles of workings (Mines Handbook, 1931, p. 742). Stains from tape repairs to folds on reverse. The stains have bled through paper. Chips in edges. Poor to fine. Est. $25-50

1845. Pitkin. Aspen. Carmer MC. Incorporated in Colorado. Unissued, 189x, cert #561. Datelined Aspen Colorado. Vignette at top of three miners inspecting rock. Brown border with blue safety print. 5 X 8. No information found within our library concerning this company. Extremely fine. Est. $50-150

1846. Pitkin. Aspen(?). Gold Valley Placer MC. Incorporated in Colorado 1892. Issued to F. H. Stockman for 2000 shares, cert #757, in 1896. Signed by B. E. Shean president and D. W. George secretary. Attractive vignette layout of the Colorado State Seal. Gold border, seal and underprint. Cancelled by Black pen handwriting. 8 X 11. Stub glued at left edge. Listed as incorporated in 1892 with offices in Aspen. (Dunbar, 1898) Very fine. Est. $50-150

1847. Pitkin. Aspen. Enamel and sterling silver spoon with "Aspen, Colorado" engraved in bowl. Blue columbine flower at top in enamel on handle. 5 1/2". Est. $100-300.

1848. Pitkin. Aspen. Famous Mining, Tunnel and Improvement Co. Incorporated in Colorado in 1892. Certificate # 767 unissued. Datelined Aspen. Maroon border and print on white paper. 8 x 12. The company is listed in Dunbar, 1898 (p. 293) but the only information provided is B. Clark Wheeler, the name of the superintendent. Very fine. Est. $20-40

1849. Pitkin. Aspen. Little Rule MC. Incorporated in Colorado. Issued to Albion Little for 500 shares, cert #3411, in 1892. Signed by C. E. Taylor President and H. R. Ralston Secretary. Vignette of miners underground. Green border and safety print. Uncancelled. 9 X 12. Printer - C. & C Litho, Denver. We could find no reference to this company among our resources. Extremely fine. Est. $150-300

1850. Pitkin. Aspen. Motto MC. Incorporated in Colorado. Unissued, 189x, cert #363. Very attractive vignette of a cornucopia with liberty head coins pouring out the large end set to backdrop of mountain scene with rail tracks. "Small Investments Large Returns" printed on side of cornucopia. Black border with green safety print. 6 X 9. Datelined Aspen, Colorado. Aspen has a long history as being a mining camp in Pitkin County. (Gannet, 1906). Extremely fine. Est. $20-40

1851. Pitkin. Aspen. Park Tunnel Mining & Milling Co. Incorporated in Colorado in 1917. Issued to Robert Shard for 6500 shares, cert #6, in 1917. Signed by Robert Shard President and Frank M. Yates Secretary. Vignette at upper left of miners working underground. Two small vignettes of miners at left and right edge. Black border with orange background, underprint and seal. Cancelled written in red pen on certificate. 8 X 11. Property locate Tourtelotte park, 2 miles south of Aspen. Included the Camp Bird, Iowa Chief, Best Friend and Edison claims reportedly having produced $645,000. The Park tunnel was 3,162 ft long and the Jenny Lind 2,000 ft long (Mines Handboook, 1925, p768.) Minor wear to folds. Fine to very fine. Est. $25-50

1852. Pitkin. Aspen. Statesman MC. Incorporated in Colorado 1891. Unissued, 189x, cert #212. Vignette of a bust of a bearded man. Green border and underprint. 5 X 7. Printer - G & C Litho Denver. Extremely fine. No information was found within our library regarding this company. Est. $25-50

1853. Pitkin. Aspen. Stereo card "Aspen, Col., U. S. A." Copyrighted, photographed and published in 1890 by B. W. Kilburn of Littleton, NH. James M. Davis printed on front of card. View from hillside of Aspen, Colorado with three children and two burros in foreground. Slightly faded with minor foxing. Est. $75-150

1854. Pitkin. Aspen. Yellow Boy Group MC. Incorporated in Colorado 1891. Unissued, cert #857. No vignette. Datelined Aspen, Colo. Gold border and print. 7 X 10. Extremely fine. Printer not noted. Aspen was a booming silver mining camp in the 1890's and was known as "The Crystal City of the Rockies". It is second only to Leadville in the production of silver and ranks near the top of precious metals production in Colorado. The Smuggler mine is famous for producing the largest silver nugget in the world, a mass of 93% pure silver weighing 2,054 lbs. In 1887, Aspen's population was about 15,000 and the town boasted an opera house, hospital and the following year became the first Colorado city to have electric lights. (Eberhart, p. 237-238) We could find no references specific to this company among our resources. Est. $20-40

1855. Pitkin. Camp Bird(?). Camp Bird Mining, Leasing, & Power Co. Incorporated in Colorado. Issued to R. R. Thiele for 5000 shares, cert #163, in 1914. Signed by R. S. Doughtery president and O. C. Gilbert secretary. Vignette of miners operating drill underground. Red-brown border. Uncancelled. 9 X 11. W. H. Kistler. Formed in 1914 to operate the Camp Bird mine located between Pitkin and Bowerman. (Mines Handbook, 1916, p.315) Very fine. Est. $25-75

1856. Pitkin(?). Highland(?) Castle Rock Milling & Mines Co. Incorporated in Colorado. Unissued, 191x, cert #118. Vignette of miners operating a drill underground. Green border and seal. 9 X 12. Printer - W. H. Kistler. In 1881, the Castle Rock MC set up business in Pitkin county to mine mostly silver. Perhaps this is where this company had plans of operation. (Corregan & Lingane, p.569) No other information was found within our library concerning this company. Very fine. Est. $25-50

1857. Pitkin. Independence. Dump Processing agreement, 1926 Letter. Letter regarding a dump processing agreement from 1926. Seems that the load is to be shipped to the "Cycle Mill". This may have indicated a trial dump recycling program. Very fine condition, with only small blemish at the upper right corner. Slightly discolored. 6.5 x 5.5". Est. $25-50.

1858. Pitkin. Independence. Magraw Mer. Co. Two Letters. regarding a potential lease agreement for a block of land. Both letters are directed to Mr. Wm. Lloyd Sicy, land owner. Very fine, with small illustration of goods, and company logo in heading. Black print. 9 x 6". Est. $50-100.

PROWERS COUNTY

1859. Prowers. Holly. Son's Bar-Café Token. SON'S / BAR-CAFÉ / ARKANSAS / VALLEYS / BEST / HOLLY, COLO. // GF / 5¢ / IT. Scalloped, b/b, 21mm. Vf. Est. $10-25

1860. Prowers. Holly. Holly Sugar Corp. Lot of 2. Incorporated in New York 1916. Specimens. Vignette of woman seated with farmland to left and industrial city to right. One with green border other with brown border. Colorado Springs printed under vignette. 8 X 11. Printer - Security Bank Note. Very fine. Est. $50-100

1861. Prowers. Lamar. Home Investment Co. Incorporated in Colorado. Unissued, 192x, no cert #. Orange border and underprint. 8 X 11. Printer - Goes. Located at Lamar, Prowers County. Very fine. Est. $10-25

PUEBLO COUNTY

1862. Pueblo. Pueblo. Big Four Investment Co. Incorporated in Colorado in 1917. Issued to J. J. Fry for 1136 shares, cert #8, in 1917. Datelined Pueblo, Colo. Signed by president W. H. Stansbeck and secretary Wm. Young. Vignette of spread winged eagle clutching stars and stripes shield. Orange border. Uncancelled. 8 x 10. No information was found within our library. Chip in top right corner, wear to bottom edge. Fine. Est. $25-50

1863. Pueblo. Pueblo. Billheads of Produce Companies. Lot of 2 pcs. H. B. King & Co Wholesale Fruits, Produce & Commission. Fancy masthead of company name. Vignette of basket of vegetables spilt over, 1897. Second is of J. D. Miller, Wholesale dealer in California Fruits & Produce. Fancy masthead of company name. Vignette of orchard. Very attractive. Extremely fine. Est. $10-30

1864. Pueblo. Pueblo. Certificate of Land Purchase. Issued to Michael Studzinski as receipt of purchase of a parcel within the town of Central Pueblo. Certificate #822, dated 1890. signed by John Cooper Governor. Hole punches in signatures at bottom. Black print with gilt seal. 8 X 14. Very fine. Est. $20-40

1865. Pueblo. Pueblo. F. J. Burch & Co Letterhead 1913. Very attractive vignette that covers over a 1/3 of the 6 X 7 size paper. The vignette shows two men in a camping scene with a tent pitched next to a tree with a large circus style tent pitched to the left and beautiful home with striped awnings located on a stream with a fly fisherman. A letter is typed to the First NB of Cripple Creek. Extremely fine. Est. $10-20

1866. Pueblo. Pueblo. F. J. Burch & Co Letterhead 1923. Photo-vignette with hand drawn additions. The scene is of mountain road with a snow-capped mountain range backdrop, a hand drawn pitched tent with an early model car parked next to it at the foreground. Typed letter to N. E. Eads Hardware Co at Cripple Creek. Dated 1923. Extremely fine. Est. $10-20

1867. Pueblo. Pueblo. Franklin Press Co. Two Billheads. Both are bills directed to the First National Bank of Cripple Creek. One datelined Sept. 30, 1910, badly ripped where the ticket number would have been. Other is in very good condition. Est. $10-20

1868. Pueblo. Pueblo. Greenhorn Leasing MC. Incorporated in Colorado. Issued to M. D. Potter for 400 shares, cert #32, in 1899. Datelined Pueblo. Signed by president Wm. Young and W. H. Gate secretary. Vignette of miners double jacking underground. Green border and safety print. Two 4 cent revenue stamps affixed at top left. Uncancelled. 8 X 11. Small chips in seal. Folds. No information found within our library concerning this company. Very fine. Est. $50-150

1869. Pueblo. Pueblo. Majestic GMC. Incorporated in Colorado. Issued to R. P. Kress, Raton, New Mexico, for 500 shares, cert #49, in 1934. Pueblo Colorado printed below company name in masthead. Signed by Sellers President and J. R. France Secretary. Vignette at upper left of spread-winged eagle atop crag. Brown border. Uncancelled. 8 X 11. Printer - RMBN Co. We could find no reference to this company among our resources. Water stain affects right 1/3 of certificate. Wear and chips to edges and folds. Fine. Est. $25-50

1870. Pueblo. Pueblo. Merchants of Pueblo Parking Token. PROGRESSIVE / COURTESY / PARKING TOKEN / MERCHANTS OF PUEBLO // COURTESY / PUEBLO / COLORADO / PARKING TOKEN. Rd, alum., l/l, 21mm. Est. $5

1871. Pueblo. Pueblo. Mineral Palace Medal. TO COMMEMORATE THE OPENING OF THE COLORADO MINERAL PALACE/ (pic mineral palace)/PUEBLO,/ COLO.// DIRECTORS/ W.W. PALMER, PRES./ D. FLETCHER, H.C. BROWN/ G.H. PARSONS, G.H. HOBSON/ F. BARNDOLLAR/ O.H.P. BAXTER/ B.G. GUGGENHEIM/ A.J. MCQUAID/ C.L. HILL, SEC./ (pics of large mill and smelting works/ pic building)/ C. Otero. 2" diameter, white metal, XF with a bit more wear to obverse field. Rare. Est. $100-300.

1872. Pueblo. Pueblo. Offset Photo Postcard. "View South on Grand, Looking Toward Vail Hotel. Flood June 3, 1921, Pueblo. Colo." Scene shows deep layer of driftwood with one or two car bodies entangled in background. Est. $10-25

1873. Pueblo. Pueblo. Pueblo Cement-Plaster Co. Incorporated in Colorado. Issued to John C. Utter for 100 shares, cert #4, in 1891. Signed by George S. Holmes President and John C. Utter Secretary. Fancy masthead. Blue border and print. Datelined Pueblo, Colorado. Uncancelled. 7 X 10. Printer - Cactus Printing, Pueblo. We could find no reference to this company among our resources. Folds. Several pin holes at top middle edge. Est. $50-150

1874. Pueblo. Pueblo. Pueblo-Colorado State Fair Association. Incorporated in Colorado. Issued to Thomas J. Downen for 10 shares, cert #121, in 1901. Signed by Arron Somehory President and Paul Wilson Secretary. Small vignette of horse's head. Green border and seal. Datelined Pueblo, Colo. Uncancelled. 8 X 11. Printer - Pueblo Litho & Print. 5 cent revenue stamp affixed at upper right. We could find no reference to this company among our resources. Folds. Very fine. Est. $25-75
1875. Pueblo. Pueblo. The Pueblo Lithographing & Printing Co. Bill/letterheads. 1900-28. Also includes companies of N.O. Nelson Mfg. Co., Franklin Press Co. (1 billhead, 1 letterhead), and The Pueblo Chieftain. The Pueblo Lithography and Printing Co. is particularly fancy, with the use of a few different typography styles in the masthead. All are very fine. 7 x 6" to 11 x 8.5". Est. $10-30.

1876. Pueblo. Pueblo. Pueblo Litho & Printing Letterhead, 1899, with red "US Internal Revenue Stamp Contractors" below masthead. This indicated that they imprinted US Revenues on checks. Very ornate masthead, with the use of different type in the company title. Vignette of a winged allegorical figure in the center of masthead. Very fine. 7 x 8". Est. $10-30

1877. Pueblo. Pueblo. Siloam GMC. Incorporated in Colorado 1903. Issued to J. M. Hiller for 1000 shares, cert #338, in 1908. Signed by Fidelios F. Brown President and J. M. Hiller Secretary. Vignette of miners working underground. Small vignettes of miners at each corner; pick and shovel at top left and right. Black border with gilt seal and gold underprint. Datelined Denver, Colo. Uncancelled. 8 X 11. Printer - W. H. Kistler Staty Denver. Siloam was a post town in Pueblo County and Siloam Spring a station on the Denver and Rio Grande in Garfield Co. (Gannett, p. 154). Wear along folds, minor stains along edges. Fine. Est. $25-50

1878. Pueblo. Pueblo. San Isabel Electric Association, Inc. Incorporated in Colorado. Issued to Ellen Stewart M. D for 1 share, cert #1097, in 1947. Rubber stamp signatures. Vignette of farm land and orchards at top center; to right of horse drawn plow; to left of farm building. Vignettes at bottom of cows and hay being collected. Green border and seal. Uncancelled. 8 X 11. Printer -Goes. We could find no reference to this company among our resources. Folds. Very fine. Est. $25-50

1879. Pueblo. Pueblo. South Pueblo Homestead & Building Association. Incorporated in Colorado. Issued to Edwin L. Cross for 15 shares, cert #263, in 1929. Signed by Thomas Kelly President and Elizabeth Van Keuren Secretary. Vignette of Colorado State Seal. Black border and print. Datelined South Pueblo, Colo. Uncancelled. 4 X 6. We could find no reference to this company among our resources. Extremely fine. Est. $25-50

1880. Pueblo. Pueblo. "Steel Works, Pueblo, Colo" with picture of same in bowl. Mining scenes on handle. Sterling. "GTZ" maker. 5 1/2". Est. $50-100.

1881. Pueblo. Pueblo. Strait Block, Inc. Incorporated in Colorado 1926. Issued to Thomas J. Downen for 200 shares, cert #1, in 1926. Signed by Shirl E. Porter President and Thomas J. Downen Secretary. Vignette at upper left of Colorado State Seal. Gold border, seal and underprint. Uncancelled. 8 X 11. Printer - Goes. Datelined Pueblo, Colo. Charter expired 1946 written in red pencil at top of certificate. We could find no reference to this company among our resources. Folds. Very fine. Est. $25-50

1882. Pueblo. Pueblo. Traders' Land Co. Incorporated in Colorado 1894. Issued to D. R. Greene for 100 shares, cert #17, in 1898. Signed by D. R Green President and J. E. Miles Secretary. No vignette. Black border with red seal. Uncancelled. 7x 9. Printer - Chieftain Job Rooms, Pueblo. Datelined Pueblo, Colo. Folds. We could find no reference to this company among our resources. Very fine. Est. $50-150

1883. Pueblo. Pueblo. U.S. Beryllium Corp. Incorporated in Colorado. Issued to Ira C. Cowie et al for 100 shares, cert #19555, in 1963. Rubber stamp signatures. Vignette of cityscape with globe in foreground. Green border. Cancelled by stamp of same. 9 X 11. Printer - Goes. Not listed in the 1963 volume of the Mines Register. Very fine. Est. $20-40

1884. Pueblo. Pueblo. Uplands Park Land Co. Incorporated in Colorado. Issued to D. R. Green for 2 shares, cert #33, in 1898. Datelined Pueblo, Colorado. Signed by J. G. Hules President and H. L. Griswold Secretary. No vignette. Blue border and print with red seal. Uncancelled. 6 X 9. We could find no reference to this company among our resources. Very fine. Est. $25-50

1885. Pueblo. Pueblo. Weaver-Hurd Realty Co. Incorporated in Colorado 1919. Issued to R. J. Tourun Jr. for 1 share, cert #4, in 1919. Signed by N. J. Mathes as President and R. J. Tourun Jr. as Secretary. Vignette of spread-winged eagle clutching stars and stripes shield with cityscape to right and array of teepees to left. Green border and seal. Datelined Pueblo, Colorado. Uncancelled. 8 X 11. Printer - R. M. B. N. Co. Low numbered certificates for one share were commonly provided as honoraria to corporate officers or financiers who were instrumental in the launching of new companies. We could find no reference to this company among our resources. Note in red pencil at top of certificate reads: No value, charter expired Nov. 26, 1939. Very fine. Est. $25-50

RIO GRANDE COUNTY

1886. Rio Grande. Monte Vista. Monte Vista School Lunch Token. MONTE VISTA / SCHOOL / LUNCH // GF / 25¢ / IT. Br, rd, b/b, 26mm. Est. $10-20

1887. Rio Grande. Summitville. San Juan Consol. MC. Incorporated in Colorado 1875. Issued to Chas. W. Tankersley for 100 shares, cert #50, in 1875. Signed by Chas. M. Tankersley President and Thos M. Bowen Secretary. Vignette of the goddess of Prosperity sprinkling coins. Black border and print. Cancelled by blue rubber stamp and signatures crossed out. 8 X 11. Printer - J. McKitterick. Stub glued at left edge. Owned the Little Ida mine near Summitville, 27 miles from Del Norte, Rio Grande County. In 1870, gold was discovered in the area by John Esmund, a rancher. The Little Ida mine was located in 1874, immediately west and parallel to the Little Annie mine. At the Little Ida gold ore assayed $1500 to $2500/ton. Four months later, this vein produced $250,000. By 1881, the company had a 30 stamp mill operating. By 1885, the Little Ida and other mines in the area played out and by 1889 only 25 residents were still in Summitville. Then in 1976, while the mines were under lease to ASARCO, an employee discovered a 114 lb boulder containing $350,000 in gold. In 1979, the Anaconda MC leased the property from the heirs of the Little Ida , but decided against full scale mining. An open pit venture began in the 1980's; however, the tailings dam failed causing extensive damage. (Balch, 1882; Burchard, 1882; Corbett, 1882; Dallas, 1985; DAB, 1929; Stone, 1918, WWW, Vol 1). An excellent example of Colorado Territorial certificate. Very fine. Est. $300-400

ROUTT COUNTY

1888. Routt. Steamboat Springs. Adams Copper Mining & Refining Co. Incorporated in Colorado in 1901. Issued to N. L. Shaw for 100 shares, cert #82, in 1901. Datelined Denver. Signed by president Boyd R. Adams and secretary W. F. McTuanni (?). Vignette of several miners working underground. Gold border, seal and underprint. Uncancelled. 8 x 10. The company's mine office was located in Steamboat Springs. They owned 7 claims developed by a 200 ft shaft with ore said to grade 4% copper. At the time of this report the company was out of funds and apparently moribund (Copper Handbook, 1911, p. 270) Small unprofessional tape repair at bottom of right fold, otherwise very fine. Est. $25-75

SAGUACHE COUNTY

1889. Saguache. Hazard MC. Incorporated in Colorado. Issued to A. H. B. Cerene for 200 shares, cert #67, in 1911. Signed by J. G. Hazard president and W. F. Boyd secretary. No vignette. Blue print. Datelined Sagache, Colorado. Uncancelled. 5 X 8. No information found within our library concerning this company. Very fine. Est. $25-50

1890. Saguache. Midland M&MC. Incorporated in Colorado. Issued to C. O. Shields for 3 shares, cert #80, in 1893. Signed by President H. T. Cructel and T. S. Fairs Secretary. Vignette of single miner working underground. Black border. Location of Mine: Saguache, County, Colorado printed on certificate. Uncancelled. 6 x 9. Printer - Denver Lith. Co. We could find no reference to this company among our resources. Very fine. Est. $50-150

1891. Saguache. San Isabel Land & Live Stock Co. Incorporated in Colorado. Issued to De Witt C. Travis for 10 shares, cert #14, in 1886. Signed by J. M. Poulson President and H. H. Sanford Secretary. Brown underprinted vignette of a cow. Blue border and print. Uncancelled. 6 X 8. Printer - Werner Printing House, Akron. We could find no reference to this company among our resources. Folds. Extremely fine. Est. $150-250

1892. Saguache. San Isabel Summer Homes Association. Lot of 2. Incorporated in Colorado. Issued to Thomas J. Downen for 12 shares, cert #27, 34. Signed by G. Holliday President and H. E. Brayton Secretary. Masthead with company name. One certificate has orange border, the other is brown. Uncancelled. 9 X 12. Printer - Goes. We could find no reference to this company among our resources. Folds. Very fine. Combined with above. Est. $25-75

1893. Saguache. Bonanza. Rawley MC. Incorporated in Colorado 1901. Issued to H. Content & Co for 100 shares, cert #15, in 1917. No vignette. Signed by H. Albert Millard, Vice-President and N. H. Broughton, Secretary. Brown border black print. Uncancelled. 9 X 12. Printer- W. H. Perrin & Co, NY. The company owned 64 claims on 400 acres covering a 6.5 ft vein. The ore was argentiferous galena, bornite and chalcopyrite (silver, lead & copper). Development included 10 levels on 1,200 vertical feet of workings. In 1917 they had 3 miles of underground workings, 97,000 tons at the mill and 225,250 tons of "Smelting ore" in reserve. They shipped ore to Ohio and Colorado Smelting & Refining Co. in Salida Reserves were estimated at 90,000 tons in 1919. Ore taken out at the 1,200 ft level trough a 6,235 ft tunnel (Mines Handbook, 1918, p. 697; 1920, p. 566.) Extremely fine. Est. $25-50

1894. Saguache. Bonanza. Rawley Mining Co. Incorporated in 1901 in Colorado. Certificate # 27 issued to H. Content & Co. for 100 shares in 1917. Signed by Vice-President Hubert Millard and Secretary M. Brighton. Uncancelled. Brown border. 9 x 11. Printer - W N. Perrin & Co. Inc. N.Y. See lot above for the story. Top right corner, slight yellowing at edges. Est. $25-50

1895. Saguache. Moffat. Bank of Moffat. Incorporated in Colorado. Issued to J.R. Kendall for 5 shares, cert #96, in 1921. Signed by president Thos. Soffell and secretary Hunt. Vignette of seated woman with Colorado State Seal with lots of other stuff all around her. Gold border, seal and background design. Cancelled by red pen of same. 8 x 11. Printer - Goes. Very fine. Est. $25-50

SAN JUAN COUNTY

The San Juan Region

The San Juan Region is part of a complex "volcanic field", a series of caldera complexes not unlike many responsible for ore deposits in other western mining districts, such as at Bullfrog, Nevada. The geology of the region was not well understood until modern times, in part because of the difficult terrain, but mostly because these types of ore deposits require extensive regional study and analysis in conjunction with modern technology. Numerous authors have published detailed reports about specific areas within the region. Davis and Struefert published an outstanding overview in Gold Occurrences of Colorado, Colorado Geologic Survey Resource Series Report 28, 1990 which is written in a manner understandable to laymen.
Mining geologists often joke about ore deposits being located at the intersection of four different topographic maps. Collectors will share this same frustration with the San Juan region, since it is at the focal point of five different counties, San Juan, Hinsdale, Ouray, San Miguel, and Dolores counties.
The first time I heard about the San Juan region was from one of our hard rock professors at Humboldt. He had spent summers there working for numerous mining companies in the search for commercial ore deposits. Naturally, the area became a focus of study to a bunch of mining hungry undergraduates, even if we were way out west on the California coast among the beautiful redwood groves at Humboldt State. Out came ore specimens and other rocks from the San Juans for study. It was then that I heard for the first time, that funny, yet wonderful word Uncompahgre. It would become a name associated with the Silverton region.
Prospecting in the San Juans began in the 1700's, or perhaps earlier. Records of the Spanish explorations are scant. The first prospectors after the California gold rush found gold about 1860, but when the return trip was made in 1868, Ute Indians were not ready to relinquish the land. Only the lucky left alive.
Enos Hotchkiss found a vein he called the golden fleece, as he and others followed in the footsteps of the earlier prospectors. Reportedly within weeks, there were 5000 miners storming the area. The number seems greatly exaggerated, since the mighty Comstock lode didn't even draw that number until a year after the discovery. These new miners formed a community called Lake City. Hotchkiss and his friend Otto Mears saw an easier route to riches with a toll road from the district to the Denver- California trail. Mears consulted with former Gov. Gilpin, who suggested a gentle route for a railroad, a prophecy that would become much needed.
In the summer of 1871, a few prospectors ventured over the mountains and found silver in a spot they called the Las Animas District. They called the town Silverton, as the story goes, because there was "silver by the ton".
Mears met Chief Ouray while he was building his toll road in the early 1870's. Ouray's tribe was known as the Uncompahgre. Through a many year struggle with relocation that the Ute and Uncompahgre lost, prospecting and mining went onward, and mining camps sprang up seemingly everywhere. Telluride, Ophir, Creede, Lake City, Rico are just a few of the towns at the centers of the mining region. Mines with names such as Smuggler, Tom Boy, Camp Bird, Sneffles, and the Sunnyside became commonplace in the daily language. -fh

1896. San Juan. Animas. Douglas Mining & Leasing Co. Incorporated in Colorado. Issued to Charles A. Taggart for 1000 shares, cert #457, in 1927. Signed by Robert ? president and R. H. Haskins secretary. Vignette at upper left of antlered elk. Fancy green border and seal. Uncancelled. 9 X 11. Printer - Goes. This company leased the Joe and John group from the Golden Consolidated Mines Co. These claims were located 6 miles north of Silverton, CO. (Mines Handbook, 1931) Very fine. Est. $25-50

1897. San Juan. Animas. North Star Sultan MC. Incorporated in Colorado 1930. Issued to Mrs. Daniel Bren for 2000 shares, cert #5422, in 1936. Signed by Warren Prosser President and M. W. Allen Secretary. Vignette of miners working underground loading ore cars with electric ore train. Orange border, seal, and underground design. 9 X 12. Printer - Goes. This company is a consolidation of the North Star M&MC and the Silverton MC. They owned many mines and prospects on Sultan Mountain. In 1931, they had 450,000 tons of developed ore. Production numbers unknown. (Mines Handbook, 1931, p. 824) Extremely fine. Est. $25-50

1898. San Juan. Cunningham Gulch. Kansas City-Colorado G&SMC. Incorporated in Colorado 1880. Issued to Ed H. Webster for 8 shares, cert #162, in 1882. Datelined Kansas City, Mo. Signed by Ed H. Webster President and R. J. Hunter Secretary. Vignette at upper left of miners inspecting sample underground. Brown border and underprint. Uncancelled. 7 X 10. Printer - Ramsey, Millett & Hudson, Lith., Kansas City. Claims were staked 1973-4 about the time Indian rights to the area were extinguished. A prospect at the time, it was regarded as a prominent property (Burchard, 1885, p. 241) Folds. Minor staining at right edge. Very fine. Est. $150-250

1899. San Juan. Eureka district. Sunnyside Mining and Milling Co. Incorporated in Maine in 1917. Certificate number 8 issued to Murray F. Cussette for 1 share in 1917. Signed by President P. E. Coyle and Treasurer E. P. Thompson. Cancelled by rubber stamp. Orange border and safety print. Stub glued to left edge. 8 x 12. Successor to Sunnyside Gold Mines Co., a subsidiary of U. S. Smelting, Refining, & Mining Co. Owned a large group of claims on zinc, lead, silver, gold and copper ore. Developed by two 5,000 ft tunnels 2 shafts and a number of levels. Intermittently active 1918-1923 (Mines Handbook, 1931, pp. 147-148). Very fine. Est. $25-50

1900. San Juan. Gladstone. Invincible Gold & Silver MC. Incorporated in Colorado. Issued to John A. Ross for 500 shares, cert #201, in 1911. Datelined Denver. Signed by John A. Ross President and Theodore Meier Secretary. Vignette at upper left of mountain stream draining into lake in steep walled canyon. Fancy masthead. Gold seal and border. Uncancelled. 8 X 11. Printer - Commercial Litho, Denver. We could find only minor reference to this company among our resources. (Vigouroux, p. 166) Minor tears along folds. Very fine. Est. $25-50

1901. San Juan. Lake City. Galbraith Correspondence. Julesburg, etc. Colorado, 1873-1885: 22 letters, plus ten unrelated additional letters from various Colorado towns, 1875-1888. 32 letters total and 11 covers (1 torn). This is a fine archive showing the difficulties of marriage, family, and making a living during the early development of the Colorado frontier in the San Juan region. The troubles were so immense, that the young couple perhaps only spent a few weeks together in total during their short marriage of about 5 years. Includes a typescript of the letters, circa 1960.
Group of 22 letters between Mary Bower Galbraith and George Henry Galbraith. The letters chronicle the tragic, yet not uncommon, lives of a young couple living in separate areas while the husband strives to find his el dorado in Colorado mining country in the 1870's at the beginning of the San Juan discoveries. The first series of letters is from George to Mary, each seemingly longer than the other, written in a flirtatious and jealous manner as their relationship develops through the mails between Julesburg, Colorado and Dodge, Nebraska.
Galbraith is a worker in Julesburg, the only Colorado city on the Union Pacific Railroad. The rail was completed there in 1867. Stephen Ambrose, in his recent book Nothing Like It In The World (2000,) called the place Hell on wheels, a name adapted to the city that was at the end of the track as development progressed. "There are men here who would murder a fellow creature for five dollars….The population was scum…" Julesburg was also the site of a brutal Indian massacre several years earlier, which would have weighed heavily on the minds of any resident.
George doesn't tell the reader what he does for a living in any of these letters. A few of the original envelopes are present, with attendant postmarks of the Union Pacific Railroad, and one partial cancellation that may have read "Julesburg Station," though only part of the cancellation is legible. Nine letters are written to Mary between August 22, 1873 and April 1, 1874 from Julesburg.
Galbraith talks of the buffalo hides by the hundreds waiting to be shipped out in one note. "There are about a hundred buffalo
hides here ready to be shipped, but among all these there is not one that will make a good robe. They were taken too soon…I will get one, send it to Columbus to get tanned…then to you….wrap you up and keep you warm."
He gets various propositions from friends and relatives for work, which he discusses with Mary. The most common proposal is for his father to buy the neighbor's ranch for George of about 150 acres in Iowa. He asks Mary her opinion, but we do not know the answer. Clearly, the relationship is growing, yet he has not been to see her. At some point he proposes, but that letter is not present. By March, 1874, she has accepted. In the same letter he tells her he wants to do the farm because "it is the surest," though that is the last we hear of it.
In a letter dated April, 1874, Galbraith hints that he may be a drayman, often hauling buffalo hides. "I went to Sydney and mailed a letter at Lodge Pole. Brought nearly four hundred hides at Sydney, and can now calculate about 100 dollars…" He says he will be with her on April 15th, but in the next letter states that he is still waiting to get paid so he has the money to travel.
The letters pick up again in January, 1878, after nearly three years have passed. Mary is in Maple Creek, Nebraska, and George in Lake City, Colorado. She now has three children, Ellie, George, and a baby. She insists on leaving in spring, because she believes she is troubling her parents, who "are old and like quiet." She hears from a friend in the Black Hills who makes $5 a day as a mine foreman. Lake City was the site of a boom in late 1875-6, which probably attracted Galbraith. It was the distribution point for the San Juan mines, according to Wolle in Stampede To Timberline (1953.)
The next letter is September, and Mary has still not left. George advises her to sell off everything. He is prospecting and doing "assessments" for pay. … "sell everything but dishes and things actually needed, sell bow and arrows." He indicates she will be coming to Lake City, and that he will be away a great deal prospecting. "Have been blasting solid quartz and granite for the last two weeks and find it very heavy work." By December, he is in Ouray, and she has not moved. With winter, he tells her about 9 months later from Upper San Miguel "I thought you would rather be at home." … "I invested all the money I could raise in mines and doctor bills, cannot do much work myself on account of rheumatism. Will try hard to sell something this summer to raise some money." In August of 1879, he told her "will try all I can to send for you this fall. I never tried harder in my life to get hold of money than I have here but sickness and bad luck have kept me back." There was no change by February, 1880, and George was trying to raise money by selling partnerships in some of his mining claims. Two letters from others reflect this attempt. Both are written on printed stationery from Del Norte Colorado (Newman, Chestnut & Stephens; Stationery, Liquors, and Cigars) and Cherokee, Iowa (Kennedy & Co. dry goods.)
George's last letter to Mary in the archive is dated May 15, 1880 from Rico, Colorado. He says that there are no roads to Rico yet, just pack train trails. He tells her and the children to get vaccinated, in preparation for the trip to join him. "…sell everything you have no use for." On May 31, 1880, Mary's last letter to George is present. She seems serious about coming to meet and live with him, but sometime between June and the end of August, 1880 George died, either from his sickness or a mining accident. The next six letters deal with Mary trying to settle George's estate, which does not take place in a timely manner. The only mining interest specifically mentioned is the Dolores Valley Mining Co. The estate correspondence to Mary is all on printed stationery from various Rico businesses dated 1880 to 1885.
The Dolores Valley Mining Co. was incorporated in New York in 1880. Corregan & Lingane's Colorado Mining Directory stated that the company had an office in both New York and Rico. The company was funded by a sale of 20,000 shares of stock at $10 each, which was probably not all sold out (they were rarely ever sold out.) They owned nine mining claims, most of which appear to have been Galbraith's. He received a quarter interest in the company for his claims, some of which were on the southeast slope of Expectation Mountain, about a mile from Rico in the Pioneer District. They were patented in 1883. The veins were from one to four feet wide of galena and pyrite in quartz, reported to assay 25 to 100 ounces per ton silver. Some of the claims were along contact deposits. Galbraith had developed the claims with numerous shafts and drifts, probably all on his own. After the company was formed, they drilled a few of the properties to a limited extent. The company reported to Corregan & Lingane that they were doing development work, which was stated to Mrs. Galbraith in a letter as well. Galbraith appears to have put together a very valuable property package, which put he and his family into a perfect position to fulfill all their goals and dreams. But Galbraith died before he saw any of his hard work pay off, and his wife was unlikely to have been able to handle the mining matters, which were very complex. It is likely she lost nearly everything, though the New York agents of the company were living off her dead husband's success.
The collection also contains an additional 11 letters of unrelated correspondence apparently collected because of the location. Letters with some envelopes are present from Holy Cross, Colo. (1888); Georgetown (Rutherford Stoves, 1876); Denver (Marble & Co., 1875); Denver (Brinker, grocer, 1875); Copper Gulch (1879 on A, T & SF Engineering Dept. letterhead); Breckenridge, 1884; Leadville, 1888; Dodgeville to Redcliff, Colo., 1888; Denver, Perkins, Hart & Co, 1888 [three different letters from same] Est. $2000-$4000

1902. San Juan. Lisbon Valley. Lisbon Valley Uranium Co. Lot of 3. Inc. in CO. All issued. Rubber stamp signatures. Vignette of spread-winged bald eagle. All certificates same style. Two are green bordered and safety print other is brown bordered and safety print. All cancelled by red rubber stamp. 9 X 12. Printer - Goes. The company had over 2000 claims in 3 states on uranium, vanadium, copper, silver lead and gold prospects including the Lucky Star and Lucky Strike claims in the Lisbon Valley district of San Juan County. (Mines Register, 1956, p. 250) Very fine. Est. $50-150
1903. San Juan. Mill Gulch. Precious Metals Corp. Incorporated in Colorado in 1905. Issued to Barnes Brothers for 100 shares, cert #2290, in 1913. Signed by C. C. Force President and J. S. Simpson Secretary. Vignette of mill at streamside within valley. Orange border and underprint. Uncancelled. 9 X 11. The company owned the entire stock issue of the East Canada Smelting Co., Ltd. which owned the McDonald copper-sulphur mine at Weedon, Quebec. They owned the Silver Crown group of 12 claims about 7 miles from Silverton and also the Forest and John mines nine miles distant. The ore occurred in quartz veins and carried values of silver and lead. Developed by 2,500 ft of tunneling. Property was idle in 1915-1916. (Mines Handbook, 1916, p. 939) Extremely fine. Est. $25-50

1904. San Juan. Mineral Point. Rocky Mountain GMC. Incorporated in Colorado 1896. Issued to R. W. Weissenborn for 100 shares, cert #1233, in 1898. Signed by W. F. Diforscay President and F. D. ? Secretary. Vignette of several miners working underground loading ore cars. Brown border with brown seal and underprint. Dateline NY, NY. Uncancelled. 8 X 11. Printer - Goes. We could find no reference to this company among our resources. Very fine. Est. $50-150

1905. San Juan. Red Mountain. San Juan Chief MC. Incorporated in New Jersey 1886. First Mortgage Bone issued 1886, cert # 130. Small vignette at top center of spread-winged eagle with banner. Black border and print. Signed by Chas. L. Hill President and J. Beach Secretary. Uncancelled. 11 X 14. This company had its operation in the Red Mountain District of San Juan County. The mine was said to be producing a large quantity of good ore and was active for years. (Burchard, 1885, p.243-34) Folds. Extremely fine. Est. $150-250

1906. San Juan. Red Mountain. Solid G&SMC. Incorporated in Colorado. Issued to Samuel T. Richards for 25 shares, cert #9, in 1884. Signed by O. D. Lewis President and R. R. Lowry. Masthead of company name. Black border with green background. Uncancelled. 4 X 7. Print - Otto Krebs Litho, Pittsburgh. Red Mountain Mining District printed at top center. Red Mountain district occurs in two different counties, one in Chaffee and the other in San Juan. The Red Mountain district of San Juan was a much more famous locality and better producer. The Red Mountain district of Chaffee was also known as the Twin Lakes district. Also, the Red Mountain district of Chaffee was a name little used. We prefer the placement of this companies activities in the Red Mtn District of San Juan. The Solid G&SMC was not listed as a producing mine in 1884. (Vanderwilt) Folds. Extremely fine. Est. $150-300

1907. San Juan. San Juan. Old Hundred MC. Incorporated in Maine. Issued to Winthrop Smith for 100 shares, cert #941, in 1907. Signed by Howell Hinds President and Thomas Maloney Secretary. Vignette of mill along stream in valley., Green border and underprint. Uncancelled. 8 X 12. Printer - Globe Litho, NY. The company had 26 claims covering 500 acres about 5 miles north of Silverton. A spur of the Silverton and Northern railway ran to the mine. Ore consisting of gold, lead, silver and copper was carried by a 5 to 12 ft wide quartz vein that averaged $8 to $12 per ton. Developed by tunnel and upwards of 4 miles of underground workings. Steam and electric power (Mines Handbook, 1916, p. 885). Very fine. Est. $25-50

1908. San Juan. Silver Lake. Paradox Copper=GMC. Incorporated in Colorado. Issued to Joseph Hibbert for 500 shares, cert #1757, in 1899. Signed by Fred Barnes President and C. B. Smith Secretary. Vignette of griffins forming a fancy masthead. Green border and underprint with gilt seal. Datelined Denver, Colorado. Uncancelled. 8 X 11. The company was absorbed in 1903 by the San Juan Smelting and Refining Co. of Silverton (Copper Handbook, 1916, p. 1412). Folds. Very fine. Est. $50-150

1909. San Juan. Silver Lake. Silver Lake Mining District, Colorado Territory Mine Claim. Claim #3, located on the Dirigo Silver Lode NE from discovery as appears on record in book A page 43… Issued to William Fairhurst July 11, 1861. Signed by Enoch Welch recorder and T. L. Mackay President. 3 X 5. The Silver Lake district is located four miles from Silverton on Round Mountain. The district produced hundreds of millions of dollars in silver, gold, copper, lead and zinc This claim predates by 13 years the Brunot Treaty of 1874 with local Indians that allowed prospectors access to the area around what was to become the town of Silverton. (Burchard, 1882, p. 429; Eberhart, p. 337-341) This particular certificate is a rare printing from the short lived town of Tarryall located in Park County. The town was laid out in 1861 and deserted by 1875. (Eberhart, p. 137-38) Printer - Miners' Record Print, Tarryall. Est. $100-300
1910. San Juan. Silver Lake. Silver Lake Mining District, Colorado Territory Claim Notice. This is a claim for water rights, Claim #7, on the stream of above lake from discovery as appears on record in book A page 26…Issued to W. Fairhurst May 5, 1862. Signed by J. S Adair President and R. S. Bond recorder. 3 X 5. Printer - Western Mountaineer Print. The Silver Lake district is located four miles from Silverton on Round Mountain. In the early days, placer mining for gold was the primary interest in the area, and this claim for water may have been intended for washing gold. This claim predates by 12 years the Brunot Treaty of 1874 with local Indians that allowed prospectors access to the area around what was to become the town of Silverton. (Burchard, 1882, p. 429; Eberhart, p. 337-341) Est. $100-300

1911. San Juan. Silverton district. Bandora Mining and Milling Co. Six per cent mortgage $20 gold bond. Incorporated in Colorado. Certificate number 1160 issued in 1892. Signed by Vice-President D. M. Holden and Secretary W. M. Harriott. 10 coupons attached. Vignette of the Great Seal of Colorado. Brown border. 12 x 14. Printer - The Gazette Printing Co., Colorado Springs, Colo. In 1882, prospectors discovered ore along Mineral Creek and later in the nearby Ice Lake district. Several rich claims were located and work has continued intermittently to the present day in the area. Nothing remains of the town of Bandora. We could find no reference specific to this company. Folds, very fine. Est. $100-300

1912. San Juan. Silverton. Mystery GMC. Incorporated in Colorado in 1933. Issued to W. T. Donaldson for 500 shares, cert #258, in 1935. Signed by Warren C. Prosser President and M. W. Allen Secretary. Vignette at upper corner of miners under with smaller vignettes at each corner of miners. Black border with gold seal and safety print. Uncancelled. 8 X 11. Printer - Goes. The company owned the Dora-Hercules group consisting of 56 claims on 556 acres at Silverton. The ore carried values in gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, tungsten, manganese and fluorspar (Mines Register, 1946, p. 198). Very fine. Est. $25-50

1913. San Juan. Silverton. Mystery GMC. Incorporated in Colorado in 1933. Issued to Daniel Bren for 2700 shares, cert #7119, in 1944. Signed by Warren C. Prosser President and J. A. Moyer Secretary. Vignette of spread-winged eagle clutching stars and stripes shield. Black border with green seal and safety print. Uncancelled. 8 X 11. Printer - Goes. See lot above for the story. Very fine. Est. $25-50

1914. San Juan. Silverton. Silverton MC. Issued to J. M. & Ida A. Kirschten for 3334 shares. Black border and print. Signed by John Mackin president and Nic Kuhnen secretary. 6 X 8. Owned the Bandora mine near Silverton, San Juan County. The company was taken over in 1922 by the Blue Flag-Silverton Mines Co. (Mines Handbook, 1931, p.661) Small brown stains near left fold. Very fine. Est. $25-50

1915. San Juan. Slick Rock. Lucky D Uranium MC. Incorporated in Colorado. Issued to H. M. Cormack for 500 shares, cert #1615, in 1954. Signed by Wade Dillon President and Mel Sarpy Secretary. Vignette at upper left of Colorado State Seal. Gold border, seal and safety print. Uncancelled. 8 X 11. Printer - Goes. The company was a uranium-vanadium producer in the Slick Rock district. They owned the Yellow John claims in the White Canyon district and blocked out an ore body of about 50,000 tons commercial grade uranium. The company was active in 1955 (Mines Register, 1956, p. 255). Folds. Very fine. Est. $25-50

SAN MIGUEL COUNTY

1916. San Miguel. Fall Creek Placer Mining & Leasing Co. Incorporated in Wyoming 1901. Issued to C. W. Rose for 10,000 shares, cert #50, in 1902. Datelined Colorado Springs. Signed by W. A. Shepard president and J. Sanford secretary. Fancy masthead. Gold border and gilt seal. Cancelled by black pen. 6 X 8. Printer - Gowdy-Simmons, Colorado Springs. Folds. There are two Fall Creek locations in Colorado. One Fall Creek is a rail station in San Miguel County, the other is a creek in Gunnison County. Here I have chosen to place it in San Miguel due to a large placer mining district. Although, there is placer mining in Gunnison. Very fine. Est. $25-75

1917. San Miguel. Keystone GMC. Incorporated in New Jersey 1888. Issued to F. N. Pitcher for 1000 shares, cert #4, in 1888. Datelined Jersey City, N.J. Signed by F. N. Pitcher President and treasurer. Vignette of green colored arch with keystone at top center. Issued for Property Purchased, Washington, Boston, Keystone, Keystone Extension, Location of mines Miquel Co, Colorado printed on certificate. Green border. Uncancelled. 8 X 11. Printer - Stewart, Warren & Co, NY. The company worked placer operations in San Miguel County. (Henderson, 1926). Est. $150-300

1918. San Miguel. Letterhead of Fisher & Wall, 1900. The masthead is printed with: Comedy Sketch Artists and High Class Singers Fisher and Wall, Always a Hit, A Feature on Any Bill. Three photo-vignettes showing, at left, an oval vignette of Character Comedian & Singer, at center of Fisher and Hall and at right, oval vignette of Vocalist & Soubrette Wall. 8 X 11. Printer - Cross Ptg Co, Chicago. Handwritten letter dated 1900, inquiring about travel plans to Salt Lake City. Very fine. Est. $25-50

1919. San Miguel. Silver Bell MC. Incorporated in Colorado. Issued to Charles Kankovsky for 100 shares, cert #C26887, in 1959. Rubber stamp signatures. Vignette of allegorical woman with lion. Green border. Cancelled by hole punches and handwritten cancelled. 9 X 12. Printer Columbian Bank Note Co. The company's mines included the Silver Bell, Cariboo, Carbonero and Badger and produced gold, silver, lead and copper. Extremely fine. Est. $25-50

1920. San Miguel. Ophir (Iron Springs) district. Argonaut Gold Mining Co. Incorporated in Arizona. Certificate # 50 issued to F. G. Huber for 1,000 shares in 1906. Datelined Ophir, Colorado. Signed by President Geo. R. Dolf and Secretary J. M. Belisle. Uncancelled. Vignette upper left corner of spread-winged bald eagle perched on dome. Black border with gold safety print and seal. 8 x 12. Printer - Goes; A. S. Carter, Stamps, Seals and Printing, Denver. The district is located 9 miles SW of Telluride. Access to the district was difficult due to isolation, resulting in little production before 1900. Several important mines were located in the district, including the Butterfly and San Bernardo. Wrinkles at top edge, very fine. Est. $25-50

1921. San Miguel. Telluride. Double Eagle Gold Mining Co. Incorporated in Kansas. First Mortgage six per cent gold bond. Sample Copy. Includes correspondence dated 1908 from Geo. M. Jaudon, Secretary to the stockholders updating them on economic conditions, resulting in the issuance of the bond. Also includes 1906 letter of transmittal for stock certificates (not included); yellow subscription blank for the bond and a small blue envelope with company name and address printed on front. Green border and print with "Sample Copy" printed in red across face. 9 x 15. Great name for coin collectors. Very fine. Est. $100-300

1922. San Miguel. Telluride. Junta Cons GMC 1913 report to stockholders, 1913. Claim to be operating the Jim Crow and Junta claims. An aerial tram is in place at Jim Crow and the statement indicates that they would like to build a tram to the Junta properties. The prospectus is also advocating the shareholders that purchasing more stock would definitely ensure the success of the company. Very fine. Est. $15-30

1923. San Miguel. Telluride. Ophir Gold Mines, Milling & Power Co. 1910, Prospectus. Printed in legal format from Hno F. De Fries, Agent Colorado Springs, Colorado. Letter states mines located in Telluride Mining District, San Miguel County. Claims include 8 patents and other claims totaling 287.5 acres in the San Juan Mtns. Property adjoins the town of Ophir also adjoins: Gold King and Alta on the north, Carbonero and Shoemaker on the east and by the Favorite, Carbeau, Ophir Cons and Butterfly. 4 pps. Excellent condition. Est. $25-50

SUMMIT COUNTY

1924. Summit. Boston & Chihuahua MC. Incorporated in Colorado. Unissued, 190x, cert #696. Oval vignette of miners underground. Black border, gold seal and safety print. 8 x 10. Possibly near Chihuahua, Colorado where the Leadville & Pennsylvania Cons MC had its operations in the early 1880's (please see that lot below). Very fine. Est. $25-50

1925. Summit. Contention Gold Mines Co. Incorporated in Arizona 1905. Issued to T. H. Forester for 250 shares, cert #471, in 1905. Datelined Denver. Signed by Sidney Stone president and Lanaford Butler secretary. Vignette of several miners working underground. Black border with copper-gilt seal and safety print. Uncancelled. 8 X 11. Printer not noted. No information found within our library concerning this company. Butler was also secretary of Fisherman Gold Mines Co. which see. Single small tear at top edge. Very fine. Est. $25-50

1926. Summit. Farncomb Hill MC. Lot of 2. Incorporated in 1890. Issued to Israel Arnold. One is for $50, cert #3508; other is for $100, cert #2308. Signed by F. E. French president and John F. Davis treasurer. Office at Boston, Mass. These certificates were designed to look like paper money. Uncancelled. 3 X 7. Printer - Buffords Sons Litho. Berwick, Maine; Boston, Mass; Mines in Summit County Colorado USA all printed on certificate. No information found within our library concerning this company. Both in very fine condition. Est. $250-350

1927. Summit. Farncomb Hill Mines Map. Blue line claim map on linen. Shows claims relative to the Swan River. No information found within our library concerning this company Discolored at folds. Fine. Est. $50-100

1928. Summit. Fisherman Gold Mines Co. Incorporated in Territory of Arizona 1903. Issued to A. Otis Woodman for 550 shares, cert #149, in 1903. Signed by L. G. Hammerstein president and Lanaford F. Butler secretary. Vignette of miners working underground loading ore into barrel. Gold border and seal. Uncancelled. 8 X 11. No information found within our library concerning this company. Butler was also secretary of Contention Gold Mines Co., which see. Very fine. Est. $25-50

1929. Summit. Montezuma Mining, Milling & Exploration Co. Incorporated in Colorado. Issued to R. H. Shindle for 5000 shares, cert #50, in 1901. Signed by James. C. Dignowity President and Wm. H. Castles Secretary. Vignette in upper left of a man wrestling a lion and winning. Black border with gold seal, safety and underprint. One $2 and one $.50 revenue stamp on obverse. Cancelled. 8 X 11. Printer - Goes. Montezuma is a small mining camp located in Summit County that has a long history of mining dating back to the mid 1860's when the first gold strikes were made. The Montezuma Silver MC was the first true company formed in 1878. This company was probably working mines in this area. Extremely fine. Est. $25-75

1930. Summit. Progress Mining & Milling Co. Incorporated in Colorado in 1914. Issued to Brown & Coombe for 100 shares, cert #424, in 1916. Signed by Philip S. Smith President and A. Pearson Secretary. Vignette of spread-winged eagle clutching branches. Green border, underprint and underprint. Uncancelled. 8 X 11. Printer - E. A Wright Bank Note Co, Philadelphia. We could find no reference to this company among our resources. Wear along folds. Very fine. Est. $25-50

1931. Summit. U.S. Paymaster MC. Incorporated in Colorado. Issued to C. M. Platt for 14,000 shares, cert #34, in 1892. Datelined Denver. Signed by C. M. Platt Vice-President and Geo. W. Thomlitz Secretary. Vignette of spread-winged eagle on crag with capitol building in background left and harbor to right. Black border, gold seal and green underprint. Uncancelled. 8 X 11. Printer - Merchants Pub Co. The Paymaster property is located in Summit County. This may be where this company had its operations. Very fine. Est. $50-1500

1932. Summit(?). Breckenridge(?). Buffalo Placer Mining and Milling Co. Seven percent first mortgage bond. Incorporated in Colorado in 1905. Certificate # 532 for $100. Signed by President Lemuel Kingsburg and Secretary L. D. Goodwin. 10 coupons remaining. 9 x 15. Printer - Bankers Supply Co. Lith., Denver. We could find no reference to this company among our resources. Chip at lower right corner, tear top edge, minor yellowing. Very fine. Est. $25-50

1933. Summit. Breckenridge. Royal Tiger MC. Incorporated in Colorado. Issued to Arthur H. Crosbie for 100 shares, cert #3664, in 1930. Signed by John A Taylor President and Allison Stocker Secretary. Vignette of allegorical woman holding staff at upper right. Black border with gold seal and underprint. Tiger, Summit Co, Colo printed on certificate. Located at Swan River, near Breckenridge. Objective of company was to bring under one operation practically the entire Breckenridge district. (Ellis, 1967; Nicholls) Very fine. Est. $25-50

1934. Summit. Gold Hill. Alpine Silver Mining Company. Incorporated in New York. Certificate # 321 issued to B. F. Sawyer Esq. for 10 shares in 1879. Datelined New York. Signed by President D. J. Splane and Secretary J. L Thompson. Uncancelled. Vignette top center of a bull elk in marsh by tree; bottom center of bald eagle. Black border on vanilla paper. 7 x 10. We could find no reference to this company among our resources. For a real stretch, it may be related to the Alpine Rose, located in Feb. 1879 in Illinois gulch 1-1/2 miles from Breckenridge. In 1883 the owners were all from Breckenridge, so this company would have to have been defunct by 1883. Exploited a fissure vein 3 ft wide with a 12" pay streak assaying 25 to 70 ounces per ton silver. In '83 was developed by a 50 ft. shaft and 90 ft. of tunneling (Corregan & Lingane, p. 742) Folds, severely oxidized seal, foxing, general wear. Est. $200-400

1935. Summit. Kokomo. Gold Cord Mining & Sm Co. Incorporated in Wyoming. Issued to Ira D. McCoy for 1000 shares, cert #1205, in 1902. Signed by Louis A. Knackstedt president and Lanaford Butler secretary. Vignette at upper left of stream in woods with mountainous backdrop. Blue border with gilt seal. Uncancelled. 8 X 11. Tears along folds. Several small stains along top edge. No other information found within our library concerning this company. (American Mines Annual, p.160) Fine. Est. $25-75

1936. Summit. McKay. Claim Notice, Territory of Colorado 1864. Issued to E. W. Canfield and T. Borden for the No 4 claim SW of the Wilson Lode located in the McKay district, Summit County. Vignette at left of early militiaman holding a gun and an American flag with plow behind him. 5 cent revenue stamp. Very fine. Est. $100-200

1937. Summit. North Star Mountain. Rilla MC. Incorporated in Colorado 1915. Issued to W. D. Kingsley for 1000 shares, cert #6842, in 1916. Signed by E. W. Noyes Vice-President and George McFoster Secretary. Vignette of trees at the foot of a mountain, possibly with a small town within trees. Blue border. Uncancelled. 8 X 11. Printer - Franklin Lee Division-American Bank Note Co. A reorganization of the O'Reilly Gold Mining Co. Owned the Bay state group consisting of 13 claims, 65 acres all on the north slope of North Star mountain, 8 miles from Breckenridge. The ore is silver, gold and copper. The are four tunnels, the longest being 1300'. (Mines Handbook, 1916, p. 982) Est $25-50.

1938. Summit. Peru district. Commodore & Delaware Mining and Milling Co. Incorporated in Iowa in 1882. Certificate # 99 issued to S. A. Hendricksen for 250 shares in 1882. Datelined Mount Pleasant, Iowa. Signed by President J. G. Newbald and Secretary J. B. Coate. Uncancelled. Vignette upper left of seated woman holding wreath with fortress-like building in background and small rock crusher to the right; vignette at right end of civil war soldier holding flag next to plow and wheat sheaf with mill building and side-wheeler Iowa on river in background. In very fine print below 1st vignette: Entered according to act of Congress in the year 1876 by Charles Schlecht in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington D.C. and below 2nd vignette: Entered according to act of Congress in the year 1873 by the Western Bank Note and Eng. Co. in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, Wash. D.C. Black border on vanilla paper. 8 x 12. Printer Western Bank Note and Eng. Co., Chicago. Owned the Commodore and Delaware lodes, 1500 x 500 ft each, located on the west slope of Decatur Mountain, one mile from the town of Decatur. Claims were located in 1879 on 2 ft to 12 ft wide fissure veins containing a pay streak 6 to 36 inches in width. The milling ore consisted of galena, gray and yellow copper that, upon sorting, yielded from 25 to 600 ozs. silver per ton. Development included a 400 ft tunnel that cut the vein at great depth, a 165 ft shaft with drifts up to 235 ft in length from 3 levels, and other workings exposing large ore-reserves. There were two ore houses on the property with an output of 800 tons, with 2,000 tons in sight (Corregan & Lingane, p. 767). Browning at folds and along right end. Est. $200-400

1939. Summit. Peru. Leadville & Pennsylvania Cons MC. Inco. in CO, 1881. Unissued, 188x, no cert #. Black border and print. Stub attached along perforation. Printer - Tribune, Denver. Datelined Chihuahua, Summit County, Col. Owned 7 claims including the Leadville, Pennsylvania, Ouray, Cross, Sheldon, Paymaster and Hall lodes located on the north slope of the Revenue Mountains near Decatur in the Peru district. Assays ran 50-150 oz/ton silver. There was a 240' shaft with two short tunnels. (Corregan & Lingane, 1883, p.813) Extremely fine. Est. $25-75

1940. Summit. Silver Lake. Claim Notice, Territory of Colorado 186x. Issued to W. G. Fairhurst for claim No. 8 on the Mt. Washington Lode recorded in Book A page 31. Signed by R. S. Bond recorder and J. S. Adair president. Black border and print. Early Printer - Western Mountaineer Print. 3 X 5. Extremely fine. Est. $100-200

1941. Summit. Snake River District. Montezuma SMC. Incorporated in New York in 1879. Issued to E. A. Johnson for 50 shares, cert #312, in 1880. Datelined New York. Signed by W. L. Hugh President and A. L. Holgate Secretary. Vignette of miners working underground in very cavernous mine. Black border. Summit County, Colorado printed on certificate. Uncancelled. 8 X 11. Printer - Franklin Engraving, NY. The company owned 13 claims on the west slope of Glacier Mountain. Galena and gray copper ore in 3 to 5 ft wide fissure veins in a quartz gangue. Developed by 13 shafts up to 200 ft in depth plus 1500 ft of drifting. Powered by steam (Corregan and Lingane, p. 831). Crease and foxing of upper right corner. Several pin holes at left edge. Very fine. Est. $200-400

1942. Summit. Spaulding. Brooks Snider Cons. G&S MC. Unissued, 188x, no cert #. Vignette of miners underground. Black border and print. 8 x 12. Location: Shock Hill, Spaulding district, Summit County, Colorado printed on certificate. I think that says it all. Very fine. Est. $25-75

1943. Summit. Ten-Mile. Graphic Cons M&M Co. Incorporated in Colorado 1881. Issued in 1883 for $100, cert #311. Unique vignette of mining camp set in woods. Green border and underprint. Signed by S. W. Hayward president and M. L. Sproat secretary. Property: Graphic, St. James, Windsor, Crown Point Tunnel, Savage, Balcher's & Princeton. Mines located on Sheep Mountain, Robinson, Summit County, Colorado printed on certificate. Uncancelled. 6 X 10. Printer - Collier & Cleaveland Lith Denver. Four coupons attached at left edge. Owned the Crown Point, Crown Point Tunnel, Princeton, Savage and Belcher mines located on the south side of Sheep Mountain, Ten-mile district, one half mile from Robinson. Discovered in 1878, the ore consisted of galena in sandstone and dolomite. (Corregan & Lingane, p.794) Excellent and Unique. Est. $150-300

1944. Summit. Union. Claim Notice, Territory of Colorado 1864. Issued to A. A. Borden for claim No. 6 SE of Dry Gulch lode within the Union district. Vignette at left of militiaman holding gun and American flag with plow behind. Vignette at upper right of spread winged eagle clutching American Flag. 5 cent revenue stamp. 3 X 5. Extremely fine. Est. $100-200

1945. Summit. Union. Claim Notice, Territory of Colorado, 1864. The notice is handwritten on lined paper ripped to match approximate size of normal certificate. Issued to Timothy Borden. 5 cent revenue stamp affixed. Very fine. Unique. Est. $50-75

1946. Summit. Union. Gold Run MC. Incorporated in Colorado. Issued to N. F. McGiniutie for 500 shares, cert #958, in 1889. Signed by Geo Martin president and A. B. Brunell secretary. Attractive masthead with Colorado State Seal at middle. Gold border at left edge with the rest being black. Gold square area with seal. Mines & mill located in Union Mining District, County of Summit, Colorado printed on certificate. Uncancelled. 8 X 11. Printer - Buxton & Skinner, St. Louis. Unique certificate. Folds. Gold Run Gulch in the Union district is composed of over 800 acres of placer deposits located 3 miles from Breckenridge. The claims were first discovered in 1860. (Corregan & Lingane, p.792) Very fine. Est. $150-250