San Francisco Mint Books?

Comments

• DaveG Posts: 3,535 ✭

  September 4, 2012 10:43AM

  Unfortunately, there hasn't been a book written on the SF Mint like the ones Doug Winter has written about the southern and CC mints.
  
  If you're interested in comments on the coins, Doug Winter has a number of articles on his website about SF Mint gold coins - don't forget to check his archives, as some of the articles are a few years old.
  
  The "Red Book" of Double Eagles by Bowers talks about the double eagles and has some comments about the SF Mint.
  
  The best discussion of the first SF Mint I've read is contained in "The Treasure Ship SS Brother Jonathan" by Bowers. In addition to a nice chapter on the first SF Mint, the book reprints an October 1856 article from Hutchings' California Magazine describing a visit to the mint. (I believe this article is also available via Google Books.)
  
  The Winter 2002 issue of The Argonaut (the journal of the San Francisco Museum and Historical Society) is also very interesting. It's mostly about banking history, but it touches on the Mint's operations, as well. The SFM&HS may still have individual copies available for sale.
  
  Also, Roger Burdette's forthcoming book, From Mine to Mint will have some information about the SF Mint (including floor plans).
  
  In addition, Nancy Oliver and Roger (?) Kelly have written a number of articles about the SF mint. I've mostly seen them in Coin World, so if you're a subscriber you can search the electronic archives for their articles. (They may have also published in The Numismatist.)
  
  There's also "Recollections of a Mint Director" which contains a portion of the memoirs of the SF Mint Superintendent at the end of the 19th Century (I've forgotten his name). He was mostly a newspaperman, but Bowers reprinted the portion of his memoirs that concerned the SF Mint.
  
  There may also be one more book out there, I think it was published a few years ago - perhaps by Oliver and Kelly.

  Check out the Southern Gold Society

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• Coinosaurus Posts: 9,645 ✭✭✭✭✭

  September 4, 2012 10:59AM

  Yup, look for Roger Burdette's upcoming book that DaveG mentioned. I read a draft, it has a lot of good, fresh information.

  Newman Numismatic Portal, www.NewmanPortal.org

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• Dollar2007 Posts: 774 ✭✭✭

  September 4, 2012 11:15AM

  Thank you both for the great information, it was more than I expected, so that is great. I actually found out about Oliver and Kelly's books and writings this afternoon, and they have been a wealth of knowledge. Not sure how I missed them. I am excited about the additional resources DavdG mentioned too and can't wait for "From Mine to Mint", thank you!

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• Dollar2007 Posts: 774 ✭✭✭

  September 4, 2012 12:22PM

  Here is a link to the article DaveG mentioned from Hutchings' California. This link goes to the direct page where the article starts, but it is part of a larger 500+ page volume. You can also download the PDF on the left side by holding your mouse over the "Ebook-Free" button.

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