Carson City founder remembered with minting of special medallion April 10

CARSON CITY, Nevada — Abe Curry, who served as the first superintendent of the Carson City Mint, will be remembered with the minting of a special medallion April 10 at the Nevada State Museum, Carson City.

Curry first arrived in the area that would become Carson City in 1858; he purchased land with three other settlers and proposed that a town be surveyed and platted, according to the National Park Service. He established several businesses in the area and was involved in the construction of the Carson City Mint, a branch of the U.S. Mint, before becoming its first superintendent in April 1869. The museum will commemorate Curry by minting a medallion with his likeness from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 10 on historic Coin Press No. 1, which was in operation at the Carson City Mint over 150 years ago.

The Curry medallion is a limited-edition minting that will end when 2,000 medallions are struck, says Nevada State Museum Director Myron Freedman. The medallions are half-ounce, .999 fine silver and cost $75. All of the Curry medallions are struck on Coin Press No. 1 and bear the CC mintmark.

Museum visitors can watch Coin Press No. 1 in action on April 10 and every Saturday. The coin press is the only one of its kind still in existence that is still operational. It’s housed in the former Carson City Mint, which is now incorporated into the museum building.

The museum, 600 N. Carson St. in Carson City, is open at 50% capacity from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Admission is $8, free for children ages 17 and younger. Visitors must wear face coverings and practice social distancing. For more, visit CarsonNVMuseum.org.

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The Nevada State Museum, Carson City engages diverse audiences in understanding and celebrating Nevada’s natural and cultural heritage. The museum is one of seven state museums that make up the Nevada Division of Museums and History.