Theodore Robert Hofer
August 1892 – June 1894

Within days after Sam Wright’s death, Chief Clerk T. Robert Hofer, “Bob”, to his friends, became the seventh superintendent at the Carson Mint since it opened for business under Abe Curry’s command. Ironically, Hofer had been there back in 1870 (twenty-two years prior), as a member of Curry’s first crew of coiners to witness glory in the making, when those glistening 1870-CC silver dollars were delivered.

Hofer had been a close friend to James Crawford, and to all of the previous superintendents, for that matter (except Garrard, of course). His family was one of the most prominent in Carson City and remained so into the twentieth century.

When Hofer wasn’t working at the mint (during the suspension years of 1885-1889), and sometimes even when he was, he held a position at the Carson Savings Bank (later becoming the Bullion and Exchange Bank). On many occasions, in his role as chief clerk at the mint, he would fill in as temporary superintendent whenever one of his bosses was away. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Hofer knew the mint business, inside and out.

Much to most everyone in Carson City’s chagrin in late spring of 1893, orders arrived from Washington, DC to close down coinage operations at the local mint, effective June 30. It really didn’t catch anyone by surprise, since the mint’s old nemesis, Grover Cleveland, had been elected to his second―unconnected―term as president. One thing had become painfully clear, there would never be any coinage operations at the Carson Mint while a Democrat was in the White House.

Hofer supervised the closedown, laid off the majority of his staff, and once again the mint sat idle, although occasional bullion deposits continued to arrive. Surprisingly, Hofer lasted another year in office, until he was finally replaced by former Democratic Governor Jewett W. Adams in June of 1894.

Hofer’s record, not only as superintendent, but during all of his years of employment at the mint, was impeccable. He was truly one of the men of finest character to serve at any mint in the United States. Hofer also has the distinction of being the only person―as far as is known―to have been at the Carson Mint when the first coins were struck in 1870, as well as when the last ones came off the press in 1893.