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Mokelumne Hill,CA - Calaveras County - 1854 - Adams & Co. Express and Banking Office, Second of Exch

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Banks, Registers & Vending Start Price:150.00 USD Estimated At:300.00 - 600.00 USD
Mokelumne Hill,CA - Calaveras County - 1854 - Adams & Co. Express and Banking Office, Second of Exch
Adams & Co. Express and Banking Office Second of Exchange. Datelined San Francisco, with "Mok Hill" hand-written above it. Dated December 24, 1854. No. 6843, payable "at sight" ("days after" is lined out) to Joseph Caldwell (not listed in Doggett's NYC Directory, 1854-55) for $100.00. Vertical signature of "C. Walailie, Agt," written across center of note. Signed by Adams & Co., the certificate has no destination line, but New York is hand-written at the lower left. Vignettes include miners with sluice box at top center, three allegorical women at center left, and the Seal of California at bottom center. Printers: Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co., New York & Philadelphia. Mokelumne Hill was one of the most important gold camps of the Southern Mines. It served as the Calaveras County seat from 1852-1866. The name referred to a trading post on a hill above the river, about one mile from the Big Bar settlement. After the initial gold discoveries were made, water made hydraulic mining possible. Although both placer and lode mining were successful, two of the largest lode mines in the area were the Boston and the Quaker City, both of which yielded more than a million dollars [Gudde, 1975, p. 301-302]. Printed on blue paper with several light foldlines and one brown spot noted, otherwise very fine. Unique piece. Type III, Variety IB.