American Old West, Bullion & Exchange Bank Check, Carson City, Nevada

Each purchase includes ONE document, measuring approximately 4 x 8 inches.

These cancelled checks come from the Bullion and Exchange Bank of Carson City, offering a direct connection to Nevada’s mining boom and one of Carson City’s most infamous scandals. Originally founded as the Carson City Savings Bank in 1875, it became the Bullion and Exchange Bank in 1882, handling everything from checks and drafts, to coins, mining stock, and bullion. The bank even maintained an office inside the Carson City Mint.

But in 1894, it was discovered that small amounts of naturally occurring gold had been removed from the silver bullion processed at the Mint and replaced with copper. The subsequent investigation uncovered a scheme dating back several years, and resulted in the conviction of three former employees. Suspicions reached the Bullion and Exchange Bank, particularly after its president, Jacob Klein, came to the defense of the accused. Investigators combed the bank’s financial records but found no evidence of its involvement.

The scandal came during the final years of the Carson City Mint, which had already ceased coining operations in 1893 and the Bullion and Exchange Bank continued until 1903, when it was reorganized as the State Bank and Trust Company amid the decline of Nevada’s mining industry.

Although the bank was ultimately cleared of any involvement, its connection to the events makes these checks all the more interesting. They circulated through the Bullion and Exchange Bank while it operated an office inside the Carson City Mint, handling the tampered bullion that passed through Carson City, giving them a direct connection to one of the most colorful chapters in the city’s history.

Each item comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.