Salt Lake Mint

[rjwmam]

Does anyone have any information or other documentation regarding the mint that was established in Salt Lake around the time that the Mormons came into the valley?

Thanks,

rjwmam

 

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[utah hunter]

Here is one link with some pics and shows the dates of the coins minted in Salt Lake.

http://www.coinfacts.com/pioneer_gold/mormon_gold_coins/mormon_gold_coins.htm

The mint was robbed in 1849, and the coins never found. The horses of the robbers were found dead in the desert as I recall, and the robbers were assumed dead. There were not even bars on the windows of the mint, just a little too tempting for those robbers...

 

[rjwmam]

Yes. I am familiar with the coins as well as the story. When did they find the horses, and where? The Baldwin brother's I would imagine became lost after they broke off from the wagon train heading west to avoid the posse that was tracking them. Do you know anything about the area where they found the horses?

 

[utah hunter]

Yes. I am familiar with the coins as well as the story. When did they find the horses, and where? The Baldwin brother's I would imagine became lost after they broke off from the wagon train heading west to avoid the posse that was tracking them. Do you know anything about the area where they found the horses?

I remembered where I got my info, it is in the book by George Thompson called "Some dreams die, Utah's ghost towns and lost treasures". On page 135 to 136 it tells the story.

They actually found the bones of the Baldwin brothers themselves, identified by their clothes and pistols. The horse bones were found strewn across the desert also a year after that. The desert is the sevier dry lake area, and that is one of the most inhospitable places in the US. I can see why they thought no one would follow them through there, but it cost them their lives. The area is vast, and needle in a haystack is an understatement.

Do you live in Utah, if so where? I am in Cedar Hills, right above American Fork.

 

[rjwmam]

I live in Sandy, just north of you. How long ago where their remains found? Do they list any kind of specific location? I have never been to the area but I would imagine that it is down by Delta, right? Reg and Dave would have most undoubtedly hid the treasure and probably started to mark the trail out from where it was hidden. Do you know how the horses died, broken leg? exposure etc... Is there any other documention about the mint that I can read about or even the Baldins themselves besides the story and what you have read in "Some dreams die, Utah's ghost towns and lost treasures"?

 

[utah hunter]

Here is another link http://nupagold.tripod.com/id8.html

No word on how they or the horses died, but dehydration is a good bet at that time. If you don't know where the springs are, which they didn't, you are not going to make it.

 

[rjwmam]

Yes. I have actually saved that story as it has intrigued me for some time. If only we could find actual documentation on where the baldwin Brother's remains were actually found, that could be used as a starting point to find the coins that they hid.

 

[utah hunter]

Yes. I have actually saved that story as it has intrigued me for some time. If only we could find actual documentation on where the baldwin Brother's remains were actually found, that could be used as a starting point to find the coins that they hid.

I have dreamed about this one since I was a kid. Without a fluke find this one may never be found. There are a few treasure legends in that area that are intriguing and well documented, but the time and effort to search in those conditions is amazingly daunting without a starting place. If you have never read the book I mentioned it will keep your head spinning for weeks. Finding the treasure is the hard part, but looking is half the fun.

Do you metal detect? If so what kind of areas do you usually search?

 

[rjwmam]

I have not started to metal detect as of yet. I don't even own one and have wanted one for some time. One thing that I do like to do is pan for gold however I don't have a lot to show for it even though I grew up in Northern California not more than an hour away from where the gold rush started in Coloma. Growing up I was aware of where I lived and its history, I just didn't give a flying leap I guess and now I kick myself in the butt everytime I think about it because you can still find a lot of gold in the rivers and streams there.

I will have to go and get "Some dreams die, Utah's ghost towns and lost treasures" but this one story has been making my head spin for months. There has to be documentation out there somewhere of who found the remains and where no matter how obscure it may be. I am just going to have to dig deeper.

 

[rjwmam]

Utah Hunter,

Have you personally ever searched for the lost coins? Do you know if anyone has come close? Can you give me any pointers or jumping off points to begin my quest besides reading "Some Dreams Die, Utah's Ghost Towns and Lost Treasures" I have ordered it on line and should be getting it soon to read. I am also planning a trip to the library in Downtown SLC to see if I can find anything on the mint. At any rate, thank you for your time and consideration.

 

[utah hunter]

I haven't. I have been in the area rockhounding and looking for indian artifacts, but the area is huge. I always keep my open for anything out of the normal, but I really have no clue where to start on this one. I don't think anyone this century has come close to finding the coins. I have looked for spanish treasure, lost mines and caches and things of that nature. if nothing else it is fun. I would wait until fall to go out in that desert, it is safer if you are going to be hiking. An ATV might be a big help to cover a lot of ground off the road. If you are crazy enough to go out in the middle of July, like I was , take a LOT of water. I have found treasure near Delta at topaz mountain, and it is always a sure thing. Here is the proof

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,156566.0.html

 

[rjwmam]

That's some beautiful topaz. It might be in the fall before I get down there. I want to exhaust all research attempts before going out in the field. There has to be some other kind of documentation out there regarding at least the mint, a picture or something would be helpful to just get a feel for what the brothers decided to get themselves into. A real treasure in and of itself would be a personal account of someone who was on the posse or a mint worker recounting their experience but that may be even more difficult to find than the coins themselves.

 

[rjwmam]

OK. So here is the deal. I have spent some time at the Utah State Historical Society in an effort to find any other information on the robbery that took place at the old Deseret Mint. I have been able to find some interesting information but nothing even remotely close to substantiate that it was ever robbed. There has to be some written detail accounting of it, if it really happened. My main purpose in this research is actually to nail down a time frame of when the robbery happend. I have read both the accounts that are readily available by third party publications namely the article at http://nupagold.tripod.com/id8.html, and also on pages 135-136 of "Some dreams die, Utah's Ghost Towns and Lost Treasures" I have seen a couple of pictures depicting the old mint which to be perfectly honest with all of you would have been a cake walk to break into. I have also gone over the diary of Hosea Stout who is said to have led a posse in search of the Baldwin Brother's but reading about his life I almost find it a stretch that he he could have done so since he talks a lot about not being well and not even being able to leave his home at times to attend to his appointed duties. Is there anyone out there that has any other information as far as what time of year it was. It would even be cool to have a specific date. So... can anyone help me nail this down?

 

[DOCC77]

Ive done some research in the old mormon newspapers and they say it was Aug 1849.it has a bit more info.PM me and ill give you the links and chat further.

 

[rjwmam]

Docc77,

I have sent you a PM and will wait to hear back from you.

Thanks,

rjwmam

 

[2fishon]

I recentyly attended a presentation by the man who owns Rust Coins. I don't recall his first name. He has an amazing amount of information about the coins and tokens made and used by the church. He wrote a book several years ago compiling all of the information he has gathered over the years. I would bet that he could help you out. He is very friendly and willing to share his knowledge. Also, I live on the eastern edge of the Black Rock desert and I'm pretty familiar with the area. When you decide to head down I'd be glad to give you some ideas. I would say go in the late fall if you can. The mud is terrible out there until summer. There are hundreds of open mine shafts so be very careful.

 

[rjwmam]

I recentyly attended a presentation by the man who owns Rust Coins. I don't recall his first name. He has an amazing amount of information about the coins and tokens made and used by the church. He wrote a book several years ago compiling all of the information he has gathered over the years. I would bet that he could help you out. He is very friendly and willing to share his knowledge. Also, I live on the eastern edge of the Black Rock desert and I'm pretty familiar with the area. When you decide to head down I'd be glad to give you some ideas. I would say go in the late fall if you can. The mud is terrible out there until summer. There are hundreds of open mine shafts so be very careful.

I went to the library yesterday to look at his book. It is very informative but did not mention anything about the Baldwins. I am beginning to wonder if this was something that embarrassed everyone involved with the mint and therefore did not get much in the way of publicity, or it could be that they just didn't want the information to get out that the mint in Salt Lake was an easy target. I am going to have to make a trip to Rust Coin and see if he can shed some additional light on the matter. When I feel that I have exhausted all research avenues before I start the physical search I will send you a PM to let you know when I plan to come down your way. Who knows, I might get lucky, and I just might have a lot of fun crashing through the desert or both. Right now I am banking on just having a lot of fun...

 

[danielfrank]

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[westerntreasurehunter]

Any new developments?

 

[Cleetus]

I read a old Newspaper article about the robbery, I will try and find it will try and find it. The Baldwin Brothers fled the scene in wagons, so the possee had no trouble catching up with them. It ws a spur of the moment crime, they didn't put a lot of thought into it. They actually went on a guided tour of the cabin (Mint) where the coins were struck the day before. They saw how easy it would be. When they stole the gold coins, they left about half of each stack thinking the minters weren't paying attention to how many they had made. It actually worked and the possee started out on the second day after the robbery. They were never found, i.e. the baldwins, their horse, their wagon. Believed to died in the Desert. http://www.coinfacts.com/pioneer_gold/mormon_gold_coins/mormon_gold_coins.htm