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Wells Fargo Virginia City Commission (Bullion) Ledger, 1879 [182783]

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Mining Start Price:500.00 USD Estimated At:1,000.00 - 2,500.00 USD
Wells Fargo Virginia City Commission  (Bullion) Ledger, 1879 [182783]
SOLD
2,400.00USDto 6*****b+ buyer's premium (600.00)
This item SOLD at 2024 Aug 23 @ 13:39UTC-7 : PDT/MST
UNCLAIMED MERCHANDISE: In the event that a successful bidder has paid in full for their merchandise but fails to settle outstanding shipping invoices or make arrangements for merchandise pickup within 60 days, HWAC reserves the right to declare the merchandise forfeited. This forfeiture will result in the merchandise becoming the property of HWAC and the successful bidder shall have no claim to or rights over the forfeited merchandise.
Large 12 x 17" cloth covered ledger marked on the spine "Out Commissions / Virginia/ W.F. & Co. July 1, 1879 to Dec. 1913, which may correspond with the closing of the Virginia City office.
This is the first time we've seen a ledger like this. The pages inside are pre-printed across the top of both pages as if one large page: "Our Commissions/ Virginia, Nev. Office
Date/ Where from/ To be attended by/ Description of commission/How disposed of"

An example of an entry:
"July 3/ J. M. Douglass/ Carson/ Have 2 gold bars herewith coined/ proceeds returned/ R'cd, filed July 9, 1879"

Douglas was a very wealthy stock broker and later (1881 or so) a precious metals dealer. His home was in Virginia City, but he controlled property in many of the great western mining districts, Particularly the Comstock Lode. When he died in January 1904 his holdings were worth $1.7m. He also owned a five mile railroad that ran tailings from one mill to another.

The entry here for Douglass indicates that Douglass handed over to the Virginia City WF agent two gold bars to be coined in Carson (thus at the Carson City Mint). The coining took place, and final logging of the returns was made six days later.

Through the years, the entries get less and less as mines often began to send their bullion directly to the Mint, and Douglass had others running his brokerage and metals business as soon as about 1881. [Virginia City] [Nevada] [] [] []