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Prior to the turn of the 19th Century, trappers and fur traders told of gold in the South Park area.

Currency:USD Category:Everything Else / Other Start Price:NA Estimated At:1.00 - 2.00 USD
Prior to the turn of the 19th Century, trappers and fur traders told of gold in the South Park area.
Prior to the turn of the 19th Century, trappers and fur traders told of gold in the South Park area of Colorado. By the mid-1850s, news of gold discoveries in Colorado had reached the East and parties began arriving in October 1858. Soon after, large pockets of gold were discovered in the Pikes Peak area. Although not the only enterprise destined to alleviate the problems of trading Colorado gold dust by converting it into coin, Clark, Gruber & Co. became the most respected financial organization in Colorado's pioneer days. It acted both as a bank and as a mint. As the gold rush expanded, Clark, Gruber & Co. became increasingly heavy buyers of gold dust, as well as receiving considerable amounts of it in payment for commodities at their wholesale houses. They would ship out the dust to be coined in Philadelphia but soon realized that it would be much more profitable to purchase their own coining equipment and mint their own pieces. By the middle of August, the company was receiving approximately two thousand dollars in gold dust daily. During the week ending August 28, they melted and coined $18,000 in $10, $5, and $2.50. By October, the gold coins of Clark, Gruber & Co. had become the principal currency of the Pike's Peak country. During its operation they issued a total of $594,305 worth of gold coins. These pieces were widely accepted at par, and the firm's reputation was above reproach.1860 $2 1/2 Clark, Gruber & Co. Quarter Eagle--Scratched--ANACS. AU Details, Net XF45. K-1, R.4. Among the more readily available issues from the private mint of Clark, Gruber & Company, the 1860 Quarter Eagle would fit nicely into a Territorial gold type set. Of course, the 1860 Clark, Gruber & Co. Quarter Eagle is a scarce coin in an absolute sense that has not appeared in one of our auctions since January of this year. Richly colored in green-gold shades, the present piece is a little bright with a glossy, semi-reflective appearance. The obverse is well struck and displays AU50 detail with just a couple of digs on the cheek and above Liberty's neck. The reverse is also well struck but unfortunately has three pinscratches above the eagle's beak. A good representative of the type and a more affordable representative. Listed on page 302 of the 2002 Guide Book.From The Estate of Jack L. Klausen. Important notice: We expect to be auctioning lots at the rate of 200-250 per hour. Sometimes eBay Premier live bid software cannot keep up with that pace, so we strongly recommend that you place a realistic proxy bid now as insurance to avoid disappointment. Also please note that all Heritage/CAA lots purchased through eBay Premier carry a 20% Buyer's Premium. Please make sure you read the Terms and Conditions.