1892 Mollie Gibson Mine, Aspen Colorado Silver Ingot
Above: A souvenir made of Silver mined from the Mollie Gibson Mine, Aspen, Colorado.
This pure silver polished plaque (bar) weighs 4.05 ounces. The fancy text etched into it is actually a deep blue color (looks black in the photo). It was found still inside the original leather, felt pouch. This was a promotional item to get investors for further development of western mines.
Even more interesting is that there is a Tiffany & Co. of NY stamp on the reverse. This is a high-end New York jeweler. The back is smooth and blank, except for the small “Tiffany & Co. / New York” mark which is centered near the bottom edge on the back.
Note that the leather pouch also has a similar mark near the opening. The leather mark is about the same size as the silver mark, but a little different font.
No public auction appearances known for this piece. There were likely others made similar to this one, but it is the only known surviving piece.
The story passed down on this one is that it came from the Bolles estate (R.J. Bolles is listed on the plaque as Vice President). There is nothing to substantiate that, although it is plausible.