Coins in use in different parts of the country......1867

AUandAG

Excerpt from Alf Doten's diary, Virginia City, NV , April 17, 1867:

"Frank Wallace just arrived from a visit to his old home in Michigan...gave me a small package or envelope this evening, containing a 25¢, 10¢ & 5¢ greenback & a 5¢, 3¢, 2¢ and 1¢ coin, all being the currency now being in common use in that part of the States - queer money for a Washoeite to look at - quite a curiosity - will put in my cabinet".

I guess that in Virginia City, NV, small change was not needed. Perhaps that is why the CC mint made no cents or nickels, and only making dimes first in 1871.
bob

LJenkins11

Informative post, thank you. "queer money for a Washoeite to look at" I have to lookup what a "Washoeite" was. ... Washoe County, NV. I learn something new everyday.

AUandAG

@LJenkins11 said:
Informative post, thank you. "queer money for a Washoeite to look at" I have to lookup what a "Washoeite" was. ... Washoe County, NV. I learn something new everyday.

Virginia City, Gold Hill and Silver City as well as Dayton are all in Storey County. Washoe county is next county north but a Washoeite can mean one from Washoe County or a Native Indian (Washoe tribe). Here I think you are correct but that did get me thinking he might mean the other as in Native Nevadan.

bob

Testoon

@AUandAG said:

I guess that in Virginia City, NV, small change was not needed. Perhaps that is why the CC mint made no cents or nickels, and only making dimes first in 1871.

No branch mint made minor coins until 1908 (for cents) and 1912 (nickels).

Was that just Mint policy or was there any law restricting the branch mints to coining gold and silver?

ricko

Thanks for the definition(s) of 'Washoeite', I had no idea what it meant. Cheers, RickO