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Helena,MT - Lewis and Clark County - April 19, 1901 - United States Assay Office Deposit Receipt :

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Banks, Registers & Vending Start Price:188.00 USD Estimated At:375.00 - 750.00 USD
Helena,MT - Lewis and Clark County - April 19, 1901 - United States Assay Office Deposit Receipt :
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. See two addional related pieces under Curtis, Perry & Ward in the Mining Ephemera Section.