Denver Stock Exchange

Collectors Gallery

An early certificate from the great Colorado coal mining region of Gunnison, Colorado.   Coal is king in Colorado and has been developed throughout the Gunnison and other Colorado Western Slope regions for over a century and is still mined in large quantities today.  Coal mined today is used in supplying power plants in Colorado & Wyoming.  Interesting side note on this certificate is that "Anthracyte" is spelled incorrectly....proper spelling is "Anthracite".

This is a great certificate from early Summit County.  It states "Ten Mile Consolidated District, Summit County, Colorado" directly on the certificate.   The Ten-Mile District is now literally buried in time.  The Climax Molybdenum Mine tailings have covered the site of several mining camps in the district including Robinson and Kokomo.   Certificates from the Ten-Mile District are particularly special as they represent a district that truly no longer exists, nor can its past sites be visited. 

Beaver Land and Irrigation Company  

This is a very fine and rare certificate that represents a land company.  The company was incorporated by Spencer Penrose and operated out of Penrose, Colorado.  The company was created to promote the and finance the town of Penrose and the area around it as agricultural land to grow sugar beets.  This particular piece was issued to the Cripple Creek Central Ry. 

C. K. & N. Mining Company

This is a wonderful Cripple Creek mining stock certificate example.   The company owned the Free Coinage and Kate claims on Bull Hill as well as the Raaler on Beacon Hill. 

Transvaal Gold Mining Company

This certificate has many fine attributes.  The graphics, color and design are one of the finest of all Cripple Creek certificates.  In addition to its fine artistry, it is historic as well.  The Transvaal was owned, in part, by Mollie E. O'Bryan who has signed this certificate as President.  Mollie was a stenographer in the camp where she became very knowledgeable in mine operations and finance.  She partnered with Charles Miller and others to form a syndicate and together they formed a number of mining companies.  Not all were entirely successful, but they had a propensity to create beautiful certificates for their companies.  Maybe part of their marketing strategy...???  Mollie was also the first woman known to hold a seat on a stock exchange when she earned her seat on the Cripple Creek Mining Stock Exchange. 

Gold Crater Mining Company

The is a highly prized Cripple Creek certificate signed by the first millionaire of the District; Winfield Scott Stratton.  Stratton was one of the first prospectors in the district when it was in its infancy and eventually became its first millionaire through his dedication to the technical aspects of mining and refining as well as impeccable mine management.  Stratton was a visionary in many ways and ahead of his time.   He envisioned that the rich gold veins discovered throughout Cripple Creek and within the ancient volcanic caldera, would culminate deep within the earth into a solid truck of ore, similar to a wine glass, and eventually "pool" at the base, or bowl, of the caldera.  This was termed by many as Stratton's "Bowl of Gold" theory.  Stratton spent millions of dollars purchasing properties throughout specific areas of the District believing that he would follow the veins in these mines to his rich "Bowl of Gold".  This certificate is a grand representation of his theory.  Signed by W. S. Stratton as President.

Stratton's Independence, Ltd.

In addition to the Gold Crater above, it seems only fitting to include the one certificate that represents Stratton's first and richest mine in Cripple Creek, The Independence.  Stratton held this mine privately until it was sold to a British syndicate in 1899.  This certificate represents the Independence Mine after it was sold to the British syndicate.  While many mining men had to raise capital in order to run their mines, Stratton made his Independence profitable on his own, with no public money.  This mine was his "bank vault"...he mined the ore only when he had to and only as much as he had to in order to make payroll and pay his bills.  He felt that the gold ore was worth more in the ground than out.   No other man in the district, quite possibly in the state, was able to achieve the level of profit and success from a single mine with no outside capital.