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 silver kings became paupers as quickly as they
had formerly become millionaires.

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 ( conceived in 1905, opened 1906 )
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.