Reno coin dealer Rusty Goe, the award-winning author of 2004’s “The Mint on Carson Street” has released a new biography on the life of James Crawford, superintendent of the Carson City Mint. Goe will sign copies of his new book entitled “James Crawford: Master of the Mint at Carson City – A Short Full Life” at the Nevada State Museum on Saturday, August 11, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Everyone purchasing a book that day will receive a 30 percent discount off the hardcover price of $89.95 (total cost – $62.96, plus tax). In addition to the book signing, museum volunteers Ken and Karen Hopple will be operating historic Coin Press No. 1 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
James Crawford served as the fourth Superintendent of the Carson City Mint from 1874 to 1885, and during his administration, eighty-five percent of all the coins ever produced at that institution were struck. In “James Crawford: Master of the Mint at Carson City – A Short Full Life,” Goe traces Crawford’s life from his birth in Kentucky; to his formative years in Illinois; to his prospecting years in California’s Gold Rush Country; to his early years in Nevada’s Lyon County; culminating in his tenure at the Carson City Mint.
The book provides a panoramic view of the sweeping history of Nevada’s connection to California’s Gold Rush era, with an in-depth look into life in the Silver State’s northwestern region from 1863 to 1885. Filled with never-before-presented facts about James Crawford and the Carson City Mint, this 650-page book vividly presents stories about some of Nevada’s most prominent historical figures and many contemporary events occurring in the United States as well as hundreds of references to coins struck at the Carson City Mint. Some of these coins are valued today in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
According to Goe, “Even readers that are unfamiliar with James Crawford, or the mint at which he served, will enjoy the experience of learning about how some of the most famous coins in history were produced; and about how political chicanery affected the monetary system of the United States. But, aside from coin making and political rascality, readers will appreciate the many human-interest stories scattered throughout the pages of this enchanting biography.”
For information, call (775) 687-4810.
