The 1870 Federal Mint That Processed the Comstock Lode's Silver — and Where Its Founder Never Left
600 N Carson St, Carson City, NV 89701
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$
$10 adults; free for children 17 and under and museum members. Check carsonnvmuseum.org for current pricing.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Museum-grade interior; enter through Dema Guinn Concourse glass structure; parking on Curry Street
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1869 · Former Federal Branch Mint · Comstock Lode Silver Processing · Nevada's First State Museum · Abraham Curry Connection
Abraham Curry's fingerprints are on every phase of the Carson City Mint's existence. Curry had arrived in Carson Valley in 1858 from Downieville, California, purchased land, and effectively laid out the future state capital. He lobbied successfully for Carson City as the location of a new federal branch mint — the Comstock Lode's silver production made the case easy — and when the government approved construction in 1866, Curry organized the cornerstone ceremony. He then won the construction contract and served as the mint's first superintendent when it opened in January 1870.
The building processed the silver output of one of the most productive mining regions in American history. Coin Press No. 1, installed in 1869, struck its first silver dollars on February 4, 1870. The distinctive "CC" mint mark on coins of this era — stamped on millions of dollars in silver coinage — led some locals to claim it stood for "Compliments of Curry," as he was known for distributing coins as personal souvenirs. Curry died in 1873, less than four years after the mint opened, while still its superintendent.
Silver production declined through the 1880s as the Comstock's richest veins exhausted. The mint closed in 1893. The building sat abandoned through the early twentieth century. Judge Clark J. Guild championed conversion to a museum; Nevada senators Pat McCarran and Key Pittman secured federal approval, and the state purchased the building for $5,000 in 1941. Major Max C. Fleischmann provided funding for renovations. The Nevada State Museum opened on October 31, 1941 — the first state museum in Nevada.
Today the museum houses exhibits on Nevada natural history, archaeology, the Comstock era, and a full-size reproduction mine. Coin Press No. 1 is still on display. Hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 8:30am to 4:30pm; admission is $10 for adults.
Sources
The haunting lore at the Nevada State Museum is rooted in two specific historical figures. The first and most prominent is Abraham Curry himself. Curry built the mint, ran it as superintendent, and died in 1873 before the operation had fully matured. Staff at the museum — per accounts collected by Visit Carson City — describe hearing footsteps patrolling the premises after hours, which they attribute to Curry continuing his superintendent's rounds. A similar energy has been noted at Curry's former home at 406 N. Nevada Street, suggesting a persistent presence rather than a building-specific one.
The second figure is Osborne Parker, a mint worker killed in the basement in 1872 when equipment fell on him. Parker's death is historically documented — he died in the same building, a year before Curry. The accounts connecting Parker to paranormal activity are less specific: staff report unexplained footsteps, an elevator that operates without human input, and a general description of a benevolent, fatherly presence throughout the building.
Neither Curry nor Parker appears in the museum's official programming as a paranormal subject. The accounts surface in regional dark tourism literature and the Visit Carson City blog. The combination of two historically documented deaths — one founding figure, one industrial accident victim — in a building with continuous institutional occupation since 1870 gives the Nevada State Museum's haunting claims more historical grounding than most.
Notable Entities
The museum occupies the 1869 federal mint building. Exhibits include Coin Press No. 1 — which minted its first silver dollars in February 1870 — Nevada natural history, a full-size reproduction mine, archaeological collections, and the history of the Comstock Lode. Tickets: $10 adults, free for children 17 and under.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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