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San Francisco,CA - 1856 - Hutchins California Magazine Vol.1 No. IV October 1856 :

Currency:USD Category:Books / Antiquarian & Collectible Start Price:100.00 USD Estimated At:200.00 - 500.00 USD
San Francisco,CA - 1856 - Hutchins California Magazine Vol.1 No. IV October 1856 :
Volume 1 number 4 from October 1856. The featured article is a detailed 8 page piece titled "Coining Money" describing the coining process at the new San Francisco Branch Mint that opened in 1854. With elegant illustrations throughout, the modus operandi is thoroughly described as the author provides a guided tour through the melting room where “bars” are transformed into “chips” weighing a tenth of an ounce. From there “chips” are taken to the assay room where they are carefully examined. Next, in the melting room gold and silver are melted down, cooled and granulated. The granulations are conveyed from the melting room to the refining room. The author continues to discuss the process in which chemicals such as nitrate of silver, chloride of silver, hydrogen, granulated zinc and muriatic acid are used throughout the process. Illustrations accompany the article and detail the “drawing of acid from porcelain pots” and the “running of gold into ingots” Furthermore; explanations are given of how the metals are rolled into long “tube-like”, repeatedly cooled and heated and eventually shaped and molded into coins. Afterwards, the coins make their way to the adjuster’s room where they are individually measured and weighed. Surprisingly, any error in weight or size sends the coin back to the milling machine to re-created.
In addition to the primary article on the San Francisco Mint, Hutching’s California Magazine includes short stories and essays. Pieces are titled “When our George Comes Home”, “The Iron Horse”, “Circumstantial Evidence” “The Poison Oak”, and “Anne Whittingham.” The cover of the magazine has a detailed vignette of the “the front view of the San Francisco Branch Mint.” Rare, and one of the first four issues of this well known Gold Rush California publication. Hutching’s California Magazine was published by James M. Hutchings from 1856 -1861. Hutchings is perhaps best known for his treatise on Yosemite. He also published a large number of duisserent illustrated letter sheets illustrating life in California in the 1854 period, quite valuable today.
A green stamp is present on the top of the cover because this magazine was originally housed in the San Francisco Mercantile Library. It measures 9 ¼” x 5 ½” and is 46 pages in length. The issue has the appearance of having been removed from a bound volume, and pages are no longer tightly bound. Overall it is in good condition.