Western AUTHOR Bret Harte RARE 1868 SIGNED Document / San Francisco BRANCH MINT

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Western AUTHOR Bret Harte RARE 1868 SIGNED Document / San Francisco BRANCH MINT :
$275.00

- RARE San Francisco BRANCH MINT Document -- SIGNED in 1868 by Western AUTHOR Bret Harte -- As SECRETARY to the Superintendent of the Mint -- With UNUSUAL Early Use of F. (Francis) B. Harte -

EXTREMELY RARE, San Francisco BRANCH MINT Document – SIGNED by popular Western AUTHOR Bret Harte, while SECRETARY to the Superintendent of the Mint. Dated October 17th 1868, at San Francisco / U.S. Branch Mint, the document is ALSO SIGNED by Robert B. Swain, SUPERINTENDENT of the Mint. The document is dated just prior to the 1868 publication of Harte’s short stories, “The Luck of Roaring Camp”, which gained him immediate acclaim for his ability to capture and express the essence of the American West.

The document itself is notable for several reasons. At birth, Bret Harte was originally named Francis Brett Harte. In this instance, Harte has signed his name using the initials of his first and middle names – F. B. Harte (Francis Bret Harte), before he shortened his name to Bret Harte. While dating from an early period in his life, this is the first instance I can recall him signing in this way. Secondly, Harte’s time spent as SECRETARY at the San Francisco Branch Mint was very brief (1864 to 1870) and any corresponding autograph material associated with his time there is equally rare.

This Mint related document is a receipt for “one book case” for the “Superintendents Office” that cost $34.72. It is SIGNED “Respectfully F.B. Harte” acknowledging the amount paid, in cash. It is also countersigned along the bottom as follows, “Correct Rob’t B. Swain” – as Superintendent. There is a filing notation, in red ink, on the backside.

FRANCIS BRETT HARTE (1836 – 1902) published his own short stories, “The Luck of Roaring Camp” (in 1868), and his short story, \"The Outcasts of Poker Flats\" (in 1869), while editor of the California periodical “Overland Monthly”. Harte would move back to his native state of New York in 1871, but both his literary prowess and popularity declined. He was appointed U.S. Consul to Germany in 1878 and thereafter moved to Great Britain, where he continued to write until his death in 1902.

ROBERT B. SWAIN (1825 - ?) was born in Nantucket, Massachusetts and moved to New York at age seventeen to become a clerk at Grinnell, Minturn & Company – one of the leading transatlantic shipping companies in the middle 19th century. He moved to California in 1855 and was appointed Superintendent of the United States Branch Mint at San Francisco in early 1863.

CONDITION: document measures about 4 ¾ x 8 inches in size and is in fine overall condition with some minor soiling and a small amount of ink bleeding in Swain’s signature. There is also a single horizontal fold and a fold spit along the right edge about 1 ¼ inches in length (see scans). Member of the Manuscript Society. The signatures / autographs of BOTH Bret Harte and Robert Swain are guaranteed authentic. FREE shipping, postage & INSURANCE. Please email your questions.