Colorado Railroad Silver Passes
To learn more about Colorado’s unique silver railroad passes that were issued by Otto Mears, pathfinder of the San Juans, we highly recommend reading “The Remarkable Railroad Passes of Otto Mears” by William K Strong.
You can purchase the book from the Colorado Railroad Museum.
The San Juan Historical Society has also put together a comprehensive history of Otto Mear’s silver passes that includes a complete list of documented known surviving passes.
You can view the article and list of passes at the San Juan Historical Society.
Rio Grande Southern Railroad (RGSRR) Otto Mears silver filigree pass issued to Wm Bailey. Pass No. 104 Issued in 1892.
William Bailey (Also spelled Bayley) ran a hardware store in Durango in the early years. (Many More Mountains, by Alan Nossaman, Volume 3, page 23). William was the brother of George Bailey who ran a drugstore in Silverton.
We also have his Silverton Railroad silver pass listed for sale. It is extremely rare to find multiple passes belonging to the same person.
Price: $8,500
Item# CSP-11-01
Silverton Railroad Otto Mears silver pass issued to WM Bayley. Pass No. 600 Issued in 1889.
William Bayley (Also spelled Bailey) ran a hardware store in Durango in the early years. (Many More Mountains, by Alan Nossaman, Volume 3, page 23). William was the brother of George Bailey who ran a drugstore in Silverton.
We also have his Rio Grande Southern silver filigree pass listed for sale. It is extremely rare to find multiple passes belonging to the same person.
Price: SOLD
Item# CSP-11-02
Silverton Railroad (Rainbow Route) Otto Mears watch fob silver pass issued to Nathaniel P. Hill. Pass No. 329. Issued in 1890.
Nathaniel Peter Hill (February 18, 1832 – May 22, 1900) was a mining executive and engineer, a professor, and a politician, including serving in the United States Senate.
Originally from the state of New York, he came to Colorado following the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush to try his hand at mining. He traveled to Europe to investigate ways to smelt ore and developed processes to make mining more profitable. Eventually he was elected as the mayor of Denver.
To learn more about the life and times of Nathaniel Peter Hill please visit Wikipedia.
Price: SOLD
Item# CSP-02