Two mining company certificates from the Elko area of Nevada, including signatures by Alfred K. Durbrow and John A. Paxton. Includes mining letter ephemera from the Office of Mineral Hill Mining Company, addressed to Joseph Roberts and notes "Star of the West" ore, a draft of $40.4, and enclosed memoranda with duplicate for Bill Rockwell, Coyote and Company(?), signed by H.W. Redfield(?). 1. Independence Consolidated mining Company, incorporated in California March 18, 1869, stock certificate No. 51. Issued to J. Clem Uhler(?) Trustee, for 50 shares on April 26, 1869 in San Francisco, signed by M.J McDonald (president) and R. Wegener (secretary). Treasure Hill, White Pine Mining District, Nevada (printed at top). Mines listed around vignette are Independence 6000ft, Valejo 800 ft, Glengarry 1000ft, Bernadette 1000ft, Black Prince 1000ft, Edward Everett 1000ft. Vignette of George Washington(?) mounted on horseback with arm outstretched pointing, horse rearing (middle center). Printed by C. Harrison, San Francisco. Adhesive revenue stamp attached at left. 4x9.25". Heavy toning, adhesive residue in corners on reverse. In less than two years, 13,000 claims were located on Treasure Hill; most of them were never worked. By 1868, Treasure Hill's population swelled to 6,000. Probably as much as $20 million in silver was mined by 1880 (Paher). 2. Rock Creek Mining Company stock certificate No. 173, incorporated on October 31, 1877 in California. Issued to A.K. Durbrow, Trustee, on November 5, 1877, for 500 shares ($100 per share), signed by John A. Paxton (president) and Alfred K. Durbrow (secretary). Location, Rock Creek District, Elko County, Nevada. Uncanceled. Black border and print. Lith. Britton, Rey & Company, San Francisco. 4.25x9". The Rock Creek Mining Compay was originally called the Scorpion. It showed promise, but no major production. Located by the short-lived mining camp of Falcon. The Elko papers predicted it would be the next mining camp boomtown, but rising water in the mines and difficult to process ore doomed the city in less than a year. Durbrow was involved with such Comstock mines as the Gould & Curry (secretary for two decades), California and Potosi. John A. Paxton was one of California riches men, acquiring that wealth as president of the Manhattan Silver Mining Company in Austin. Franklin Collection. Elko Nevada