Skip to content

Rare Books

Coining Money at the San Francisco Branch Mint



You might also be interested in

  • Life in the Mines

    Life in the Mines

    Rare Books

    Image contains four vignettes depicting different aspects of life in the mines. The upper left vignette depicts a man flipping pancakes outside of a tent while other men sit and stand around. The upper right vignette depicts a parade of miners trudging over the hills headed for new diggings with mules, horses, and carts. The lower left vignette depicts a man up a tree with a bear after him. The lower right vignette depicts a man tending a fire while three others eat by a tent. "Lith. Britton & Rey San Francisco."--text, below image. The number 6 is in the upper right corner of the sheet, indicating that this image may be part of a series. Paper color: buff.

    48052:106

  • [Untitled.  Baird title: Miners’ Life]

    [Untitled. Baird title: Miners’ Life]

    Rare Books

    Image contains four vignettes. The upper left vignette depicts miners panning for gold. The upper right vignette depicts one miner being lowered into a mine shaft by another. The lower left vignette depicts three miners working. The lower right vignette depicts two miners outside a tent cooking over their fire. A monogram is in one of the lower corners of each vignette. "Lith. of Britton & Rey California St. corn. Montgomery St. S-Francisco."--text, below image. The number 20 is in the upper right corner, indicating that this image may be part of a series. Paper color: buff.

    48052:139

  • A Prospecting Party

    A Prospecting Party

    Rare Books

    Image contains four vignettes. The vignettes begin on the upper left with three miners and their packed mule happily leaving their log cabin. In the next vignette on the upper right, the three men are mining and having no luck finding gold. In the third vignette on the lower left, the three men lose their mule when it falls down the mountainside. The final vignette on the lower right shows the three men limping back to their cabin. "Lith. & Pubd. by Britton & Rey San Francisco."--text, below image. Paper color: blue.

    48052:105

  • Great Earthquake in San Francisco, October 8th, 1865. [No. 1]

    Great Earthquake in San Francisco, October 8th, 1865. [No. 1]

    Rare Books

    Image contains 3 vignettes. The left vignette depicts a woman holding up a naked baby by its left foot. The center vignette depicts a four-story building with its right half fallen in and a seemingly undamaged two-story building next to it. The right vignette depicts a servant girl leaving a house with a trunk on her back and a Bible in her hand. Under each vignette is text further describing each scene. "Scene on Bush Street. Wreck of Building S. E. Corner of Third and Mission Streets. Scene on O'Farrell Street."--text, below image. Below the image is text describing the events of the earthquake that occurred on October 8th, 1865. This text continues onto the next page of the sheet. Paper color: buff.

    48052:151

  • The Mining Business In Four Pictures

    The Mining Business In Four Pictures

    Rare Books

    Image is of four vignettes which depict four common experiences in the life of a miner. The upper left vignette depicts two miners resting with their packs and a stream in the background. The upper right vignette depicts one miner with a pan of gold and the other jumping joyously. The lower left vignette depicts two discouraged miners looking into a large hole they have dug. The lower right vignette depicts two miners trudging toward a village in the distance. "Lith. & Published by Britton & Rey, corner of Montgomery & Commercial Sts. S.F."--text, below image. The number 9 is in the upper right corner, indicating that this image may be part of a series. Paper color: buff.

    48052:009

  • The California Indians

    The California Indians

    Rare Books

    Image contains eight vignettes depicting California Native Americans engaged in various activities and customs. The text in the center of the image describes each vignette. "Anthony & Baker SC."text, bottom of every vignette. "C. Nahl del."--text, bottom lower right and lower center vignettes. "Excelsior Print."--text, below image. A few handwritten words are on the verso of the sheet. Paper color: blue.

    48052:103a