Was there ever just a Clark & Co? Or was it always Clark Gruber & Co?
Zoins
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Clark Gruber & Co. issued their first coins in 1860, being set up by brother grocers, Milton Edward Clark and Austin M. Clark, along with former bank cashier Emanuel Henry Gruber.
There are some 1860 "Clark Gruber & Co" coins but there are also some 1860 "Clark & Co" only coins, both categorized as Clark Gruber & Co coins. Here are two half eagle example photos from our hosts. The 1860 says "Clark & Co" while the 1861 says "Clark Gruber & Co".
Was the company ever just "Clark & Co"?
1860 $5 "Clark & Co"
1861 $5 "Clark Gruber & Co"
There are some 1860 "Clark Gruber & Co" coins but there are also some 1860 "Clark & Co" only coins, both categorized as Clark Gruber & Co coins. Here are two half eagle example photos from our hosts. The 1860 says "Clark & Co" while the 1861 says "Clark Gruber & Co".
Was the company ever just "Clark & Co"?
1860 $5 "Clark & Co"
1861 $5 "Clark Gruber & Co"
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PIKES PEAK moves from the reverse border to the coronet, replacing CLARK & CO, which is now seen on the reverse periphery in the form of CLARK GRUBER & CO. The new legends presumably gratified the ego of Emanuel H. Gruber, whose name finally appears on the denomination.
Just to make sure we are all on the same page your $5 that you say says "Clark & C0" doesn't say that instead it reads " Piles Peak Gold Denver.". SO either that is the company or you inadvertently posted the wrong coin, just saying.
Look again, closely.
On the 1860 coin (obverse), the lady's headband says "Clark & Co."
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Just to make sure we are all on the same page your $5 that you say says "Clark & C0" doesn't say that instead it reads " Piles Peak Gold Denver.". SO either that is the company or you inadvertently posted the wrong coin, just saying.
Take another look as it states Clark & Co in the tiara on the obverse.
one day the idea struck me that the firm of Clark, Gruber & Co., bankers, should also be coiners. I spoke to one of my partners, Austin M. Clark, who with his brother, Milton E. Clark, was interested in all my enterprises in those days, about the matter. He was a lawyer, and after spending several days looking up the authorities, he gave it as his opinion that there was no law of the United States which could be construed as against the coining of money by individuals, provided it was made of full weight.
Not entirely satisfied, I consulted two of the most prominent attorneys in the state of Kansas on this matter, and their opinion was the same as that of my partner, Mr. Clark ...
We went ahead then and ordered the machinery required in the coining of gold, and in 1860 built the old mint building, which still stands at the corner of 16th and Market streets, and having installed our machinery set to work to turn the dust of the miners into coin of our company.
Our gold differed little from those of Uncle Sam. We had the Goddess of Liberty on the face of them, but in the fillet that bound her hair, instead of the word "Liberty," we placed the word "Pikes Peak" and on the obverse side, instead of the words "United States of America," we stamped "Clark Gruber & Co." In this year we coined only $10 and $20 pieces [also $2 1/2 and $5]. We made them of virgin dust, without any alloy, they were really worth more than those of the government, which were alloyed....
The next year we coined $2.50, $5, $10, and $20 gold pieces, but having found our pieces of the preceding year a little soft, as they were pure gold, we did not make the coins of 1861 as pure as those of 1860; still they were purer than the government coin. In 1862 we did not coin very much money, as the conditions were changed and the government greenbacks did not fluctuate as they did in the first years of the war.
Here are the two pinnacles of my vintage Clark Gruber collection:
PCGS MS63+BN
PCGS AU50
That 1860 is rare. Back in the day, there wasn't a Colorado, so forget all that. It was all Kansas Territory. But, there are patterns from 'the east' for some of these. The coins are laugable that is how bad they are. I'll dig up my Robert Bass catalogue to get some pics but in the interim - @Zoins I put this in another post but it fits here even better.
I've seen that model building in "Tiny Town". My brother lives a couple miles from it in Conifer, CO. From what I remember, it is about 3 feet tall (as are most of the buildings in Tiny Town).
I've also seen a smaller model railroading kit of that building.
PS:
Which coins do you think are "laughable" ?
according to kagin's book on pioneer gold, which i highly recommend, gruber was with clark and co when they decided to coin gold in 1859. (p. 212).
From the information provided by Dan and Steve, it seems plausible that the Clark brothers and Gruber started in business together in 1860 but the company was originally called Clark & Co. At some time in 1860 Gruber's name was elevated to the name of the company, now Clark Gruber & Co, which spread to more denominations in 1861. After dissolving their working relationship, the Clarks were Clark & Co. once agian.
they were clark & co before gruber came along. they sold commodities...kinda like a general store for miners. when they decided to coin gold, they brought in gruber who had banking experience. (also from kagin's book, p211).
Good info. Makes sense that they had a pre-existing Clark & Co company and the initial coins struck would use their existing company name. Changing the company name would make sense after both Gruber and the new business proved themselves.