The first permanent white settlements in Colorado were established in 1851
and within a few years the area that is now Denver ( formerly Placer Camp
and Montana, then Auraria and St. Charles ) was the site of one of
the world's great gold rushes in 1859.

During the 1870's silver became more important economically than gold.
Mining moguls were created overnight, but this period of opulence ended in
1893 with the crash of the silver markets. Banking houses failed,
smelters shut down, and former millionaires turned into paupers overnight.

But new gold discoveries helped prevent a major decline, and farming,
cattle ranching, and commerce began to provide a more stable economy.
The Denver branch of the U.S. Mint ( Authorized by the act of 4/21/1862,
but operated as an Assay Office until passage of the Act of 2/20/1895 ) was
conceived in 1905 and opened in February of 1906. It produced about 75
percent of U.S. coinage and is the nation's second largest gold depository.
These drafts of the Downing Investment Group of Denver, Colorado are
all dated during this period, and written on the First National Bank.