3215

N. S. S. M. (North Star Sultan Mining) Silver Ingot, Silverton, (Colorado), c1937 [168015]

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / Ingots Start Price:2,000.00 USD Estimated At:4,000.00 - 8,000.00 USD
N. S. S. M. (North Star Sultan Mining) Silver Ingot, Silverton, (Colorado), c1937 [168015]
SOLD
3,500.00USD+ (717.50) buyer's premium + applicable fees & taxes.
This item SOLD at 2023 Jun 17 @ 13:06UTC-7 : PDT/MST
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N. S. S. M. (North Star Sultan Mining) Silver Ingot, Silverton, (Colorado), c1937

“Silverton/ N.S.S. M. “ 28 x 15 x 10mm, 38.3 grams. This ingot is x-Heritage 1/06/2005, and x-ANA, Boston, 1973, lot 1079. In 2005 it sold for $6,900.

There are several different ingots from this company that have surfaced over the years. I had previously written a story for a similar silver ingot in 2002 (lot 1003, Deccember 14, 2002 sale), noting that dating the piece was difficult. At the time, I had not seen a listing for this specific ingot in an ANA sale, Boston, 1973, lot 1049, in which some information was given by the consignor.

Today, with the huge advances in digitization and thus public access not available in 2002, we now can not only specifically date this ingot, but tell the full story.

The North Star Sultan Mining Co.
The North Star Sultan Mining Company was formed in December, 1929 as a consolidation of several key properties on Sultan Mountain near Silverton. The new company put together the properties of the famous North Star mine, the Sultan mine, the Eunice, Crown Point and Wheal Alfred mines. Together, these mines had produced over $8.5 million in silver.

The North Star #1 was discovered in 1876, and the North Star #2 followed shortly after. The North Star #1, the better mine of the two, was owned by the Sultan Mining Co. The North Star #2 was owned by the Silverton Mining Company of New York. The two remained separate companies for years, probably through about 1900. Vanderwilt, Henderson and Burchard reported the galena rich veins carried 70-80 ounces of silver per ton and 35% lead in quartz veins cutting quartz monzonite. Gold was infrequently found in chalcopyrite, and added a “plus” to the smelter reports from time to time.

While the North Star was the key mine on Sultan Mountain, the others soon grew in production.

After 1896, silver was depressed. It dropped below 60 cents per ounce, and once the mining industry entered the post-1910 period, silver was in a slump, as inflation rose, causing most silver mines to be unprofitable.

When the mines at Sultan Mountain became inactive, an opportunity arose for consolidation, and the possible new production by combining this group of mines, operating a new mine as one composed of all the good silver producers. The same concept had been successful with the new rich silver discoveries at the Tonopah Divide in the late teens, still producing silver in 1929.

The Company built a new mill (200 ton flotation) and production appears to have continued through about 1935, though we do not have the proper references for the 1931-1934 period available. That year they broke up the group, leased out the mine to the Mystery Gold Mining Co., and in 1936 leased the Wheal Alfred to the Speculators Club of Denver. The mine ceased production by World War 2. (Mines Handbook, 1937, p667)

With this new knowledge of this ingot, it can be surmised that the ingots were possibly made for the Speculators Club of Denver in 1937. There are at least two of these small silver ingots left in existence, as the one mentioned sold by our company in 2002 is not the same as this ingot, which is the one sold in the 1973 ANA sale.

Date:
Country (if not USA):
State: Colorado
City: Silverton
Provenance: