2016-07-11 Mon

Territorial gold coinage became more and more popular in West America in the late 1850s and early 1860s. Clark, Gruber & Co. Mint was one such privately-run mint which was set up in Denver. This Mint produced $2.50, $5, $10, and $20 coins worth $600,000 face value in just three years after it was set up.

Locally-mined gold was used to make these coins which were not federal legal tender but sometimes contained more precious content than the coins that were issued by Philadelphia mint. Even then, these coins were used widely and trusted by traders.

After Colorado became a part of the United States in 1861, the Clark, Gruber & Co. buildings were bought to set up a federal assay office. Denver Mint soon went on to become one of the biggest factories to produce circulating coinage in America.

Colorado is also the home to the headquarters of American Numismatic Association (ANA), which was introduced in 1891 and chartered by Congress in 1912 with a mission to promote numismatics in the country.