Heading: (California - Foreign Miner's License)
Author:
Title: Printed stub to a Foreign Miner's License, filled out in ink, to an apparently Chinese miner
Place Published: San Joaquin County
Publisher:
Date Published: August 2, 1853
Description:

Printed slip accomplished in ink. 10x9 cm (4x3½").

For the payment of 4 dollars, the miner "Shone" could mine for a month. In 1850 the first California state legislature passed the first Foreign Miners Tax Law, levying a twenty dollars per month tax on each foreigner engaged in mining. A revolt resulted and it was repealed in 1851. The Foreign Miners Tax Law was reenacted in 1852. By 1853 the Foreign Miner's Tax stated in Section 6, "The amount to be paid for each license shall be at the rate of four dollars per month, and said license shall in no case be transferable." Offered here is the stub, that would have been kept in the register in the county office; the miner was required to carry the actual receipt of payment to present when challenged.

Fine condition.