2017

Austin,NV - Lander County - April 16, 1868 - Boalt & Stetefeldt Assay Office :

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Documents Start Price:500.00 USD Estimated At:1,000.00 - 2,000.00 USD
Austin,NV - Lander County - April 16, 1868 - Boalt & Stetefeldt Assay Office :
No. 3392. This is an exceptionally rare, R7 perhaps even R8 assay certificate from the John J. Ford Collection. The source of this ore was the Rough & Ready Mine in the Amador District near Austin, and the sample was deposited by Captain S. Kidd. The ore was fairly rich, worth $279.67 per ton. The certificate itself is certainly one of the most attractive of the early western certificates for a number of reasons. First of all, the certificate number is engraved in a vignette of an ingot at the upper left. This engraving is very important as it shows how ingots were punched on their face with serial numbers spaced out on two of their thin sides. Further, it shows two assay chips in diametrically opposed corners. The 5 cent adhesive Nevada revenue stamp at left bears the initials “B&ST” an abbreviation of Boalt and Stetefeldt. About the time this assay certificate was issued the Manhattan Silver Mining Company began a massive consolidation of mines around Austin. As they mined deeper ores, they encountered fresh silver sulfide minerals, which were difficult to reduce. This firm created a new ore reduction process through a new type of furnace known as the Stetefeldt furnace, which allowed a number of mines to economically process high grade silver ores. The Stetefeldt furnace became commonplace throughout the west when high grade unoxidized ores were encountered. John H. Boalt was a distinguished lawyer and native of Ohio. He was born March 29, 1837 and graduated from Amherst College. He was qualified as a mining and mechanical Engineer at Heidelberg and Freiberg and was a lieutenant in the Civil War. He amassed a fortune in Nevada as one of the executives for Stetefeldt Furnace Co which owned a new process for reducing ores. In addition he was a District judge for Lander County; his term ended in 1871. Overall in very fine condition.