What life was like in the late 1800s in the Virginia City, Nev., area and the Comstock Lode is detailed by collectors Bruce Thayer and Ryan Baum in the spring issue of Curry’s Chronicle, the official journal of the Carson City Coin Collectors of America.

Thayer intertwines his account of a modern day trip to historic Virginia City with a fictional short story about Seamus Mahoney — a muleskinner trudging along the path from Carson City to Virginia City in 1871. Baum also takes readers back in time, exploring the connection between the beloved “CC” coins from the Carson City Mint that collectors so cherish today, and the “Silver Kings” — John Mackay in particular — who played such integral roles in their production.

In other articles, Weimar White writes about the desirability and value of the 1890-CC Coronet gold $10 eagle. John Crane and Lane Brunner share their experiences about two niches of Carson City Mint coin collecting that lie outside conventional bounds: countermarked coins and unusual coin slabs, respectively.

Crane, in the second contribution to his “Crane’s Carson Coin Corner” column, writes about maverick countermarked coins — coins that bear clear countermarks, but with no known person, business or location association.

Brunner discusses Carson City Mint coins he has that were certified by Accugrade and Compugrade. Although Brunner knows buying a coin for its holder isn’t the traditional method, he’s found enjoyment in it just the same, according to the author.

Alan Slakis contributes his experiences on his way to completing a grading set of Professional Coin Grading Service certified 1879-CC Morgan dollars, both with and without the “capped die” variety, from Poor 1 to Mint State 66.

CCCCOA President Rusty Goe details the effort involved in assembling a complete, 111-piece Carson City Mint set. In addition to breaking down the number of top four (by piece-count) sets of Carson City Mint coins that can be assembled, he explores and explains the monumental efforts of both Louis E. Eliasberg Sr. and the collector who built the “Battle Born Collection” — the only two people to have successfully completed the 111-piece Carson City Mint coin set, according to Goe.

Stack’s Bowers Galleries contributed a press release to the club journal highlighting the upcoming sale of the Battle Born Collection. According to Goe, the auction, which is scheduled for Aug. 9, is destined to break price records and establish a new standard in the Carson City Mint coinage series.

Annual dues for membership, which includes a three-issue subscription to Curry’s Chronicle, cost $30. The CCCCOA’s address is P.O. Box 18040, Reno, NV 89511. The website is at www.carsoncitycoinclub.com. ¦