Excerpt:
Allegations of Impropriety
The following year in March 1876, there were allegations concerning skimming at the Carson Mint as well as lightweight trade dollars being struck. These deficient trade dollars were blamed in part on their having been severely damaged in the Virginia City fire. Mint Director Linderman and the Treasury Department accepted this explanation and charges were dropped. At the same time, a gang of men in the mining region had stolen thousands of dollars of silver from the company they worked for in 1875, but this, of course, was not a reflection on the mint in Carson City, although any acts of this nature sent waves of suspicion back to Washington D. C.
Superintendent Crawford closed out 1875 defending his mint to the end. He answered the charges that the 1875-CC trade dollars were lighter in weight than standards required, by detailing the security measures employed to ensure quality control. Groups of one thousand coins would be turned over to the officer in charge, who subsequently selected several random pieces, which were in turn weighed and checked for quality; if any one was found to be below standard, the entire 1,000 coin lot would be melted. This report satisfied authorities, thus bringing the case to a close.
Many interesting events were due to take place the following year, but Carsonites could look back proudly on the first six years of operations at the Mint on Carson Street.
