1865 Angels Camp's Frogs Become Famous


On November 18, 1865, a young, aspiring journalist published a short story in the New York Saturday Press. The newspaper was short lived, but the fame of the author wasn't. It turned out that this story was his first important work in a long line of celebrated stories that made him world-famous. The story: "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County"; the author: Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain.

The story is about Jim Smiley, a local gambler who would bet on anything from the death of Parson Walker's wife to fights between his bulldog pup, Andrew Jackson, and other dogs. One day a stranger to the town agreed to bet on a frog jumping higher than Jim's frog,Daniel Webster. When Jim wasn't looking, the stranger poured quail shot into Daniel Webster's mouth making it impossible for him to jump at all. The stranger won the $40 bet and escaped before Jim realized the con.

It isn't clear if Angels Hotel (current home of Calaveras Coin & Pawm) was the place where the infamous jumping contest happened, but this hotel is certified as the place where Mark Twain first heard the story that later made him famous.
Not only Mark Twain gained fame through the story. It also put the tiny mining town Angels Camp on the world's map,
and since the late 1800s, the town celebrates the famous writer and its very own frog jumping history with an annualFrog Jumping Jubilee.
Come visit us at Calaveras Coin & Pawn the home of the Mark Twain Story

Re-Visit The Gold Rush - Celebrate Frog, Friendship, and Fascinating History in Angels Camp



   Ten miles southeast of San Andreas and three or four miles from Carson Hill sat Angels Camp, named for Henry and George Angel who had accompanied James Carson south from Weber Creek. A lot of placer gold was found in Angels Creek and the gulches and flats around it. In 1852 two brothers named Winter washed nine thousand dollars in gold through a common sluice from a plot of two hundred square feet of surface earth. Below the dirt they came to a layer of limestone containing gold mixed with sulfur that, when crushed and worked like quartz, yielded as much as $200 per ton, but one specimen from this lead, when sent to London for assay, was said to be worth $3500 per ton.

   Like so many other mining sites the placer gold played out early but when quartz leads were found the town continued to prosper for decades, producing over $20 million dollars in gold. And when the stamp mills finally stopped pounding many residents couldn’t sleep. The silence was too loud. The town has gained lasting fame from Mark Twain who first heard the famous story of ‘The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County’ in the Angels Hotel.
   It soon became common practice around Angels Camp for miners to keep an old trunk filled with their best specimens of ore and gold bearing rock somewhere in their cabin so that they could pull out a particularly good sample on special occasions and declare it to be worth twenty or thirty thousand dollars a ton. They would apply a magnifying glass to the rock and dream of visits to European monarchs who would treat them as royalty, and for a time this dream would make them happier that any reality ever could.

Mark Twain The Young Man - Described

frogville, frogtown, angels camp, mark twain,
Mark Twain 30 Years of Age

   "Mark Twain is a very good looking man. He is of medium height and moderately slender build, has light brown hair, a reddish brown mustache, regular features and a fresh complexion; and he has a queer way of wrinkling up his nose and half closing his eyes when he speaks. The expression of his face is as calm and imperturbable as that of a sphinx. Looking at him you feel it to be an impossibility that he should ever hurry or be out of temper, and you might suppose him to be incapable of a joke, if it were not for the peculiar twinkle in his merry eyes. His voice is remarkably light and remarkably dry--like some German wines--and it seems to be modulated to only two keys. His style of speaking is unique to the last degree. It is all of a piece with the quality of his humor, and fits him like a glove."



-Newspaper Review of November 30, 1870 Thompsonville, Connecticut speaking tour stop. November 30th is his Birthday so it must have been a good show!

What Does Calaveras Coin & Pawn Mean For You?

So why are we so excited about pawn and what does it mean for the community?

   Pawn stores offer collateral loans for surprisingly low interest rates. They specialize in short-term small loans.

Pawn stores can offer this type of deal because the customer offers personally owned property as collateral, which significantly reduces the risk for the lender. When the customer pays the loan back, the property is returned. In the U.S., over 80% of all collateral property is re-claimed.

Pawnbrokers also lend larger amounts of money for more flexible periods of time at lower cost. If you take a secured short-term loan from a pawnbroker, you will only pay interest on the actual period for which you use the loan.  

Samuel Langhorne Clemens & Angels Camp, California

Home of Calaveras Coin & Pawn
www.calaverascoinandpawn.com 
   In 1863, a young aspiring journalist named Samuel Langhorne Clemens stayed in this hotel on his way from San Francisco, CA to Virginia City, NV.
Here he heard a yarn about a notorious gambler who lost $40 to a con artist in a frog jumping competition.
The story, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County was first published in New York in 1865.
Not only the young journalist who later changed his name to Mark Twain gained fame through the story. It also put the tiny mining town Angels Camp on the world's map, and and since the late 1800s, the town celebrates the famous writer and its very own frog jumping history with an annual Frog Jumping Jubilee.

Token LUCKY TO DRINK GREEN RIVER WHISKEY


Token LUCKY TO DRINK GREEN RIVER WHISKEY
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GOLD PARTIES ARE ILLEGAL!


With home parties, there are a lot of people with their hands in your pockets.   Each taking a cut of your gold!

The Gold Buying Home Parties also known as the "Hosted" Gold Buying Parties are the latest fad, another concept to prey on the high price of gold.    They are a fun social event for a group of family and/or friends but surely not the best way to sell your gold.   The "Host" is doing it to make money, they often receive 10 to 20% of the total amount purchased!  . . . . 10 to 20% that you could keep.

Now, often the "Host" is a charity.    If you like the charity . . . you can still give the charity the exact same amount but write off more as a gift if you sell your gold for more, and give the entire amount as a donation.   Simply, the Charity nets the same amount, but you can write off the 10 to 20% commission they receive as the "Host".   

Also, note that many of the companies that help the "Host" set up the Gold Party provide an advertising allowance and/or provide assistance by providing post cards and door prizes . . . all these expenses are being taken from YOUR gold! 

But the biggest problem is that Gold Parties in private homes or in club houses are illegal in the state of California!

   Gold parties are subject to raid, search and seizure along with prosecution for everyone who participates even if you are not selling gold you are present where a crime is taking place.  
   Don't jeprodize you good name, trust the folks that have been bulding a good name themselves for 25 years.  Family owned and operated come visit Calaveras Coin & Pawn at 1283 S Main St. Angels Camp, CA and legally sell your gold.  


Your Camera is Worth Money! Sell or Pawn It For Instant Cash!


Sell or get a loan on your old camera

Need instant cash or a quick loan?
Have bad credit?
Facing a financial emergency?

Do you have old cameras lying around not getting used?  That could be money in your pocket because we loan and buy top-of-the-line cameras, especially digital SLR cameras.

Camera brands we purchase or loan on:

  • Leica
  • Canon
  • Hasselblad
  • Nikon
  • Olympus
  • Panasonic
  • Pentax
  • Sigma
  • Sony
  • …and more

Hotel Gold Buyers Bad Idea! Don't Get Ripped Off!


Most of the heavily advertised Hotel buying Events are held by Out of Town Entities.   They have no connection to the Local Community and are not reliant on their on going reputation in the local community.  As a locally owned and operated Business, Calaveras Coin & Pawn has a definite link and responsibility to Mother Lode.    More important!   We rely totally on Our on going reputation in the community.  

These events often promote that they are buying for a limited time, they create sense of urgency.   This high pressured environment is not for your benefit, it is for their benefit.   You have to make a quick decision, which usually is a bad one.

Simply, WE HAVE a vested interest in providing the very best service, professionalism and PRICE! And, give you time to decide your best option.

REAL EXAMPLE
On December 19 & 20th 2009 a legitimate jewelry and pawn shop in California decided to check out a national gold buying operation that was buying at a Local Hotel.   The operation ran an ad in the newspaper stating "In Most cases, we pay three times more than our top competitors."     
So we sent a "customer" with 58.5 grams or 37.5 pennyweight of 14 karat gold jewelry, with no gemstones.   We first sent the "customer" to get quotes at 8 local gold buyers.   Then to the Hotal event . . . . The initial offer made by the company was $604.  ($10.32 per gram or $16.10 per pennywieght)   This was far from 3 times any offer received that weekend.   After pushing the person, they offered $725 for the gold jewelry.  ($12.39 per gram or $19.33 per pennyweight).   But still not close to 3 times any of the offers already received.  In fact, they offered less than 5 of the 8 we tested that weekend, using the exact same items.

In summary, The claim "In Most cases, we pay three times more than our top competitors."     It is obvious to us that their top competitors must not be in Angels Camp, California.

BEWARE: Many Hotel Gold Buyers:
  • Don't Check ID's so items could be stolen
  • Rarely turn in mandated JUS123 Reports
  • Work on Weekends When Law Enforcement is to busy to police their activities
  • Don't Turn in Lists of Items Purchased As Required by Law
  • Don't Hold Items For 30 Days
  • Way Under Value & Grossly Underpay You For Your Jewelry & Coins
  • Don't Keep The Business Local
  • Reduce The Chance of Local Victims Recovering their Stolen Items
VISIT THE FOLKS YOU HAVE TRUSTED 
FOR OVER 25YRS

Family Owned & Operated
Downtown Angels Camp, CA


Lawmaker in Capital Participate in Frog Jumps! (VIDEO)

   Lawmakers and aids take part in the Annual Jumping Frog contest to promote the Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee that happens in May.

Good For Trade Token 1971 2ND ANNUAL BRITISH COLUMBIA FESTIVAL OF SPORTS $1.00


Good For Trade Token 1971 2ND ANNUAL BRITISH COLUMBIA FESTIVAL OF SPORTS $1.00
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Will The U.S. Mint Run Out Of Silver?


Will the U.S. Mint Run Out of Silver?
In mid-January of this year, the U.S. Mint announced that it was forced to suspend sales of 1-ounce American Eagle silver bullion coins because, “after just two weeks, it was sold out of its entire inventory.”
The demand for silver from small investors in the form of coins has been dramatic – “a record 7.5 million ounces of silver coins were sold in January.”
Many retailers are out of American Silver Eagle coins currently.
There is a big problem; however, the U.S. Mint is not the limiting factor. Over the years, Silver Eagle bullion coins have been minted at various facilities, but for more than a decade they had been struck only in West Point.
After 2010, the San Francisco facility was added, and now both locations are minting silver Eagles, leaving the U.S. mint with a capacity to "strike between 50 million and 60 million American Eagle silver bullion coins annually to meet demand, but ongoing inability to secure sufficient planchets stifles full use of that capacity.”
A planchet is a “blank,” the input to the U.S. Mint pressed into coin. Deputy U.S. Mint Director Richard Peterson maintains that "the bureau is struggling with a lack of success in its efforts to find additional planchet suppliers.”
The mint did plan ahead, and increased production of the silver bullion coins "by 20 percent in January 2013 to meet projected demand, but the increase over January 2012 levels, when 6,107,000 coins were sold, was insufficient.” The U.S. Mint suspended sales of its 2013 American Eagle silver bullion coins following the quick depletion of inventory early on.
When sales resumed in late January, buyers were placed on an “allocation system” that limits the number of coins any retailer may obtain.
To allay fears that the U.S. Mint may be running out of silver, it’s important to note that, although industrial uses for silver are expanding, there are still tons of recyclable silver that could be melted down – that is, if the price offered is high enough.
Since we know silver coin blanks represent a real world limitation in supply, this teaches a very important reason why physical silver bullion under one's full control trumps synthetic paper-mâchés (Exchange Traded Funds, ETFs) and allocated precious metal investment models.
American Silver Eagle coins are valued higher than the spot price of silver ( the cost for the raw material, unwrought silver ). Current eBay prices on most government issued silver coins are hovering at prices around +50% over the spot price for silver, putting the retail physical price as high as the middle $30s per ounce.
Many holding physical silver are surely looking at prices and asking themselves: “What sell-off?”
Below is a screenshot from showing silver coin prices from eBay.
American Silver Eagle Coin Premiums Chart 24hgold

Don't Make A Major Mistake With Your Gold!

Types of Gold Coins
There are many options today to fulfill your gold portfolio needs, ranging from bullion to rare gold coins. When selecting your gold coins or bars you should ensure you are acquiring the “right tool for the job.” Because each type of gold will provide different advantages, it is important to consult with an expert.

American Gold Bullion

American gold bullion coins can most easily be classified as coins minted in the U.S. after 1933. Gold American Eagles and Gold Buffaloes are the most common. They are available in differing weights and commonly range from 1/10th ounce coins to 1-ounce coins. The smaller coins are easier to barter with should you need to. Also, should you need to liquidate some of your gold for a few hundred dollars of cash, having smaller coins to liquidate eliminates the need to sell out of a larger, more valuable coin and perhaps lose out on potential gains as the price of gold increases over time. Gold Bullion can also take the form of bars or ingots, and can be purchased in weights ranging from grams to kilos. Bullion coins are also minted in other countries, and can vary in purity and weights as well.
Since gold has been used as a currency for over 6000 years around the globe, there are rare gold coins that span millenniums, geographies, and empires. The United States however, has created its own history when it comes to rare gold coins, and you need not be a historian or a millionaire to participate in this market. Our forefathers penned into the Constitution that our currency be coined of gold and silver, and for well more than a century Americans used gold and silver coins everyday in commerce. In fact, quite often throughout American history, when paper notes were introduced by the government they were shunned by the people. The daily use of gold coins as currency came to an end in 1933 when then President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 6102 effectively confiscating gold coinage from the general public. Those who had gold coins were allowed to keep a certain amount, however stiff penalties of a $10,000 fine or 10 years in prison, or both, caused many Americans to surrender their gold to a specified bank and accept payment in paper money in exchange. Silver coins would also be phased out of circulation in the United States within a few decades to come. These changes would set the stage for a separate market of gold and silver coins to emerge; rare United States minted coins. Being that these coins are not only pressed from precious metals and struck to the very demanding tolerances and purities of United States Mints, when coupled with the fact that far fewer now exist than were originally created, you now have a perfect scenario for the law of supply and demand to work it’s magic. 1-ounce gold coins in near perfect uncirculated condition of very rare dates and mintmarks can commonly command from $100,000 to $1 million or more, and these are coins with a $20 face value, or even less! Not only do the rare coins have the ability to capitalize on their rarity and quality, the United States government and the Internal Revenue Service draw delineations between rare U.S. coins and common bullion. This is just one reason to speak to qualified professionals in precious metals and taxes before procuring a portfolio in gold and silver. As stated earlier, be sure you know what your goals are, and that you are purchasing the “right tool for the job”, not just the “cheapest tool on the shelf”.

Rare American coins of gold and silver come in many sizes and weights, from many different mints, and can be had in varying states of wear. All of these factors will affect what you pay for the coin, how rare it truly is, and ultimately, financial performance. The professionals at Calaveras Coin & Pawn are not only very well versed in these markets, but because of our superior relationship with coin buyers around the country, we are able to offer graded and sight seen coins that other lesser companies are just unable to offer.
Should you have questions about purchasing a $20 St. Gaudens piece or a $20 Liberty, or one of the smaller fractional American coins, and adding the value of American heritage to your gold purchase, Please call us at (209)736-COIN. You may be surprised at not only how affordable a rare U.S. gold or silver coin can be, but also at how well the coin has performed over time. We look forward to being of service.

Pawn, Sell or Buy Musical Instruments & Equipment

Pawn, sell, or buy musical instruments and equipment.

Need instant cash?
A quick loan? 
Have bad credit? 
Facing a financial emergency?

No problem! At Calaveras Coin & Pawn we make it easy to solve your cash needs. Bring in your old musical equipment and with a quick appraisal, we’ll give you a loan or buy your used musical items.

We pawn, buy and sell  in a wide selection of instruments and equipment, including…

buy sell pawn musical instruments in the SF Bay Area
  • Guitars (Martin, Gibson, Fender, Ibanez, Rickenbacker, Gretsch)
  • Saxophones
  • Violins
  • Keyboards
  • Drums
  • Turntables
  • Mixers
  • dj Equipment
  • and lot’s more!!!

Mark Twain Mural in Angels Camp? Is The City Business Friendly?

   Mural on the side of Calaveras Coin & Pawn is a gift to the people that want to help us celebrate the heritage and history of Mark Twain and the Gold Rush.  Bringing back the history of Angels Camp as the mining town that it was and the treasure of the Sierra Foothills that it still is!
Judy begins to paint base on ribbon banner.
    Nothing about Angels Camp needs to be reinvented.... just celebrated, embraced and shared with the world.  Liven up downtown, encourage economic growth of the existing businesses and encourage folks to shop local and visit their very own town.  There is a wealth of golden opportunities. If the city of Angels Camp, city staff including members of the city council, planning commission, and mayor were involved with the downtown business instead of stipulating to death new or updated businesses and would just embrace business friendly practices and help encourage business growth within its own border before reaching outside the town, Angel Camp could thrive instead of becoming a ghost town.
    Calaveras Coin & Pawn believes that by bringing back and celebrating the city's heritage including Mark Twain and his Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, that folks the world over will appreciate, that it will be good business for everyone in Angels Camp.  Tourism is very important to our local economy and by funding this mural for people to enjoy for generations to come we continue to do our part.  We hope the city of Angels Camp commissioners will revisit their sign ordinances, cost of business licenses, inspections and fees that make these tasks onerous and expensive.  
   Lets build on the rich history we have instead of micromanaging, over-branding and re-inventing an already taxed downtown.  What is wrong with frogs, Mark Twain, gold mining, railroads and all the history that surrounds it?  Who decided to make it a "Mountain Sports Camp?"  Is this the direction the citizens of Angels Camp want to go?  How well has it worked for us so far... 
   We need the cooperation of city officials to cut through the bureaucratic red tape that is getting thicker by the day, what happened to the frog with the mining supplies and pick and shovel... who decided gold mining and panning are not mountain sports?  The city of Angels Camp does not like vinyl banners yet it has over 22 of them with various photographs of kayaks and sports frogs?

Happy Mother's Day From Calaveras Coin & Pawn

Celebrating All The Wonderful Mom's Out There!

Mistakes in Coins May Equal Money - Bring In Your Coins For Cash!

Collectable Forms of Doubling

While this list is not comprehensive, some of the most collectable forms of doubling are represented in the photos and descriptions below. You will notice they all involve the re-entry of a design into the die (through one manufacturing method or another) that results in one image overlapping onto the other. Each image is a entity of its own and not dependant on an earlier image from which to be formed or "smashed down" from, etc. In many cases you will note distinct areas of separation between the images even if only in the finer details such as the serifs of characters. Study the photos below and compare them to the "Other Forms of Doubling" to learn the difference.  Or bring down to Calaveras Coin & Pawn and see if they are worth cold hard cash.  Let us help you liquidate unwanted change.

 Nice hub doubling showing on IGWT of a 1946 Roosevelt dime. Coin courtesy of W. W. Edwards who first reported discovering the variety back in the mid 1970s.
 An outstanding example of hub doubling on TRUST found on a 1974-D half dollar. Notice the strong spread and areas of distinct separation.

 One of my favorite Repunched Mint Mark varieties on a 1960-D Large Date cent. Listed as RPM#13.
 A nice example of a quadruple punched Mint mark on a 1945-P Jefferson war-time nickel. Notice the trace of the lower loop down to the south of the main lower loop and other areas of doubling with separation of images. Coin courtesy of Jerome Goodman. Listed as RPM#45.
 Here's a great example of a Repunched Date on an 1882 Indian Head cent showing as an 88/88 with the tops of the secondary 8s found within the upper loops of the main characters. Coin courtesy of Larry Briggs.
 A rare example of "Touch-up Engraving Doubling" on the eagle's tail-feathers on a 1953 proof Washington quarter. Notice that the original feathers were polished down so far that they virtually disappeared. They were crudely re-entered into the die as a series of new tail-feather outlines with distinct overlapping of the old and the new tail-feather outlines most easily viewed at the lower edge. 

Some mistake coins aka "error coins" can mean serious cash.  
Bring them on down to Calaveras Coin & Pawn. (209)736-COIN


Crazy Money Paid To You For Unwanted Silverware, Jewelry & Your Old Gold Tooth


Friendly, Fair and Fast

Selling your unwanted or broken gold, silver, diamonds or other jewelry has never been easier.
  • 1
    Visit Us
    Come in to any one of our many locations and bring in your unwanted or broken gold, silver, diamonds or other jewelry.
  • 2
    Testing
    We want to buy your gold as much as you want to sell it. However, we only want the real stuff. Our seasoned staff will test each piece for authenticity.
  • 3
    Appraised
    Your items will be weighed and appraised, and our friendly consultant will provide you with an estimate. If there are jewelry pieces or gemstones involved, he will also determine the grading and value of these individually.
  • 4
    Sell
    Sell your items and get cash on the spot.

  • Earrings
  • Chains
  • Necklaces
  • Dental Gold
  • Rings
  • Mountings
  • Watches
  • Gold Coins
  • Silver Dollars
  • Bracelets
  • Gold Jewelry
  • Silver Jewelry
  • Platinum Jewelry
  • Silverware and Flatware
  • Old Scrap Gold and Silver
  • Gold and Silver Coins
  • Gold and Silver Bullion and Rounds
  • Gold Watches
  • Rolex Watches
  • Diamonds