(Comstock Lode) An original crucible from the historic Hale and Norcross Mining Company Assay Office in Virginia City. Th crucible, about 4-5 tall, was used to determine the content of gold and silver contained in ore. With the crucible is a rare report to stockholder of five mines in the Comstock Lode area, ca. 1916, with a fold-out map of the Comstock Lode. Finally included is a period newspaper, the Mother Lode Magnet Jamestown, Ca., Jan. 19, 1898 with a notice within that Comstock founder James G. Fair's estate had been valued at over E12 million. Three items.