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Tombstone Western Heritage Museum Auction: The Earp Brothers & Cowboys

Sat, Jul 26, 2025 11:00AM EDT
  2025-07-26 11:00:00 2025-07-26 11:00:00 America/New_York North American Auction Company North American Auction Company : Tombstone Western Heritage Museum Auction: The Earp Brothers & Cowboys https://live.naabid.com/auctions/north-american-auction/tombstone-western-heritage-museum-auction-the-earp-brothers-cowboys-20021
Join North American Auction Company on July 26th for a once-in-a-lifetime auction of the Tombstone Western Heritage Museum Collection. This extraordinary sale features the largest private collection of Tombstone history, including rare and historic pieces tied to Wyatt Earp, the Earp Brothers, and the infamous Cochise Cowboys. From original artifacts, outlaw relics, and the largest collection of C.S. Fly photographs, this is a can’t-miss event for collectors of the Old West’s most legendary chapter.
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Lot 43

C.D. Bailey Letter On Gilded Age Mining Claim 1881

Estimate: $1,000 - $2,000
Starting Bid
$300

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$50 $10
$100 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$25,000 $2,500
$100,000 $5,000
Featured in this lot is a letter from C.D. Bailey, Reviewer of Public Money / Receiver Land Office, to the third Mayor of Tombstone John Clum, regarding Alder Randall's (Second Mayor) protest of the issuance of a mining patent for the Gilded Age Mining Claim in the town of Tombstone, December 3rd, 1881. On December 3, 1881, the United States Land Office in Tucson sent a formal letter to Tombstone's Mayor in response to a protest submitted by former Mayor Alder Randall. The protest objected to the issuance of a patent for the Gilded Age claim. This protest was officially dismissed on the grounds that the claim was legally located under US federal, territorial, and municipal mining regulations, and there was no proof of invalidity or fraud. The Gilded Age Mining Claim was almost fully within the Tombstone town limits, an unusual but not unprecedented scenario in 1880s Arizona. It was surrounded by several notable mining claims, including the "Friendship," "Mountain Maid," and "Good Enough" mines. This letter effectively cleared the way for the Gilded Age Mining Claim to receive its patent, allowing the claimants, Edward Fields and Horatio S. Sanford, to become legal owners of the land; the city of Tombstone's government had no grounds to oppose or interfere with the claim; and the claim was legitimate, in accordance with local and national mining laws. The Gilded Age Mining Claim is a unique and documented example of a mineral claim created within the confines of an incorporated frontier town. It focuses on the specific legal and practical issues of mining legislation at the height of the Arizona silver boom. The Gilded Age case, which includes two formal surveys, legal affidavits, crew certifications, and even a dismissed objection from city administration, demonstrates how the machinery of federal land law functioned amid the turmoil and potential of the Old West. It is signed on the front by C.D. Bailey and reads on the back, "Communication from U.S. Land Office / Protest of A. Randall, Mayor against insurance of patent to Gilded Age Mine, dismissed". It shows good condition overall with little to no wear present and no signs of damage noted. It is set in a plastic slip case to preserve its condition. It measures 9 3/4" L x 7 3/4" W and weighs under 6 ounces. Provenance: From the Tombstone Western Heritage Museum in Tombstone, Arizona. TTD34

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