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Lot
226
(Telegraph) California State Telegraph, San Francisco, illustrated design on orange buff cover with pencil address to "Golden Eagle", charges notated as "160", no postal markings; light stain; accompanied by original telegraph datelined "Silver Mountain May 16, 1866", Very Fine. Estimate $300 - 400.
Silver Mountain, originally called "Kongsberg", was a ghost town founded in the late 1850's-early 1860's by Scandinavian miners prospecting for silver. By 1863, the name was changed to Silver Mountain City. By 1866, the town had a population of 3,000 and was the seat of Alpine County from 1864 to 1875. The demonetization of silver in 1873 caused its decline and was pretty much abandoned by 1886.
Realized: $170