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Tucson,AZ - Pima County - C1880 - Pinal Gold and Silver Note :

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Western Americana Start Price:3,000.00 USD Estimated At:6,000.00 - 10,000.00 USD
Tucson,AZ - Pima County - C1880 - Pinal Gold and Silver Note :
Note No. 167. This Pinal Gold and Silver Mining Company one-dollar note is probably the only such note extant. Extremely Rare, One Dollar U.S. Currency #167 printed on bond paper. “One Dollar” printed in center, signed by J. M. Morrison, Superintendent.

The Pinal Gold and Silver Mining Company was formed in late 1876 and operated until about 1879. It was reformed in the mid 1880’s as the Pinal Consolidated MC with significant production. The years in between may have been marred by a lawsuit. This type of activity happens when a new company emerges with a similar name to the old one, then immediately goes into large-scale production. For example, the Pinal Consolidated produced $207,771 in 1883, and $20,000 in 1884. There was no reported production in 1880 or 1881 as shown in Burchard’s Report of the Director of the Mint for those years. By mid 1879, the company was not trading on the San Francisco Mining Stock Exchange.

The Pinal Gold & Silver MC office was located in San Francisco, at 402 Montgomery, from 1876 until 1878. The superintendent listed on the bank note, J. M. Morrison, is not listed as a resident of San Francisco during that period and may have been the mine Superintendent in Arizona, though Orlando H. Bogart was the Secretary. In 1879 the office moved to Liedsdorf Street. The Mine is not reported in Hinton’s Handbook for Arizona or Hamilton’s Resources of Arizona, both key references for Arizona mines for the 1870’s and 1880’s. It is also not listed in the 1881 Disturnell Arizona Business Directory, nor was Morrison. Balch (Mines, Miners and Mining Interests in the United States) lists the Consolidated Company without much notice (1883).

It is unclear if the company owned the Pinal Lode or if they were active elsewhere in Pinal County. The lode was located about 40 miles distance from the famous Silver King Mine near Pinal City. Note is in Extremely Fine condition with very faint creases, and one slight tear repaired with glue. Ex Maurice Burgett French's 108th Auction, November 30, 1974 part of lot 510; Ex 1990 Memphis Sale #89 (NASCA division of R.M. Smythe, June 1990, lot 1213: From the John J. Ford, Jr. Collection.