One of your favorite US Mints could have closed 10 years earlier.

[RogerB]

The New Orleans Mint was proposed for closure in 1897, but things move "kind-a slow in N'aw Lins."

18971209 Close NO Mint.jpg (184.72 KiB) Viewed 2679 times

[shortnock]

RogerB: Nice find. Fine photo. Those darned bean counters!

[RogerB]

Here's an additional letter FYI.

18971227 NO Discontinue operations-1.jpg (454.24 KiB) Viewed 2639 times

18971227 NO Discontinue operations-2.jpg (197.12 KiB) Viewed 2639 times

[vamsterdam]

So, what was carson city doing from 1894 onward if it had not been closed?

[RogerB]

Assay office.

[rogerg]

What beautiful penmanship, but I must say it appears that he used a Big Chief tablet.

[Kurt28]

That would have made a significant impact on my collection.

[RogerB]

What beautiful penmanship, but I must say it appears that he used a Big Chief tablet.

The journal was approx 12.5 x 18-inches page size with a larger cover. The front looked like this from Entry 235 volume 007.

Pages from E-235 Vol 007.jpg (149.7 KiB) Viewed 2529 times

Each volume had an alphabetical index and 500 numbered pages on which a clerk copied letters before they were mailed, or delivered within the main Treasury building. The completed manuscript section was usually sent to a private contractor who prepared the index pages, then assembled the volume and added covers and end-papers. Sometimes the contractor signed his/her work. Women could earn as much per volume as men since it was common to use first initials and last name in identifying people in the 19th century. "M. Smith" could be "Mary Smith" or "Mark Smith."

[RogerB]

RogerB: Nice find. Fine photo. Those darned bean counters!

When photographing journals and other documents, I try to get the best image possible. If you refer to the photo of the journal, previous post, here's what I do. The copy stand has two large daylight LED light arrays just like a regular copy stand. I use a hand held incident light meter to measure the light intensity at each corner of the volume and the center. The lights are tilted or masked until I have identical light intensity at all five points. The camera is aligned and measured with a level so the CCD is parallel to the volume cover/or a flat page. Exposure is manual based on the light meter reading, and auto focus is used most of the time. (This compensates as the volume gets thinner as pages are turned.) A thin border is allowed to avoid clipping of text. This is cropped off later.) All the odd pages are shot first, then all the even pages. In my office, I interleave odd/even page images, make overall adjustments to improve readability (especially of any pencil notes), then convert to the highest quality PDF (2400 dpi or better).