2.43oz Rochester, NV ingot (96+% silver, 1.21% gold, 1.32% lead)
Rochester is a well-known ghost town in Nevada. Rochester (which was originally 3 towns that melded together) and the surrounding Rochester Mining District was one of the most successful in North Central Nevada, producing more than $6 million in silver, gold, copper, and lead.
In the 1860’s, prospectors from Rochester, NY (hence the name) discovered gold in Rochester Canyon. Before long, a few camps of hardy miners showed up, which prompted the development of Upper Rochester and Rochester Heights. “In 1912, a man named Joseph Nenzel discovered large bodies of silver ore in the canyon, which sparked another, far more significant boom. By 1913, more than 2,000 miners were working the area and an impressive ribbon of miner’s shacks, commercial businesses and other buildings lined the center of the canyon.” It appears that by 1922, most of the population had left, although the mines continued to operate intermittently until 1942.
Photo taken from online sources, and pics are from Holabird and The Nevada Traveler publication.
Provenance: Stack’s Winter 2022 Auction, Session 15
[11/2022] https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-ZAX9N/mostly-unmarked-silver-ingot ($1,140)