THE JOURNALS OF ALFRED DOTEN, 1849-1903

After reading Rusty Goe’s article about “Deep Participation – Going Below the Surface of Carson City Coin Collecting” in the spring 2013 edition of Curry’s Chronicle, I began searching for other avenues beyond the coins to quench my appetite for all things related to the life and times of the Carson City Mint and the famed Comstock Lode. I decided to focus on the years of operation at the Carson City Mint and the boom years on the Comstock Lode.

One of these searches ended with the purchase of a three-volume set of Alfred Doten’s journals, published by the University of Nevada, Reno. In these journals, Mr. Doten documents daily his adventures beginning as a 19-year-old who set sail from Massachusetts on March 18, 1849 to California. His writings chronicle his life in the gold fields and his move to Washoe, another name for Nevada Territory.

Doten’s life story tell us about his friends, including Abraham Curry, who gave Doten one of the first silver dollars struck in 1870 with that fascinating “CC” mintmark that we all cherish. Doten also writes about his acquaintance with Superintendent James Crawford, and a meeting with Crawford at the Carson Mint.

As I began reading this massive 2,400+-page compilation of his life, I found myself living his experiences through his eyes; and what an interesting view it is. I am now wondering where this adventure may take me as I learn about the people Doten writes about in his journals, and how far I would like to take my research. It sounds like it will be a whole lot of fun; but isn’t this what it’s all about? I look forward to sharing future discoveries with you.

For those of us who were fortunate to be at the Nevada State Museum on August 23, 2013 to listen to Rusty Goe’s lecture about “Ten Non-Coin Collectibles Every ‘CC’ Coin Enthusiast Should Own,” you know we were treated to a real education that will surely give us more avenues to explore and collect. I hope that all of you reading this article find and enjoy the various paths of fulfillment in building your own collections, which go beyond the coins, as I have.

References:
The Journals of Alfred Doten, 1849-1903, edited by Walter Van Tilburg Clark, University of Nevada Reno

“Deep Participation – Going Below the Surface of Carson City Coin Collecting,” by Rusty Goe, Spring 2013 Curry’s Chronicle

“Ten Non-Coin Collectibles Every ‘CC’ Coin Enthusiast Should Own,” Rusty Goe’s lecture August 23, 2013, Nevada State Museum

(Images courtesy of Southgate Coins)

For more information, or to join CCCCOA, see: www.carsoncitycoinclub.com

Wayne Homren, Editor

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