Mariposa County
After California was granted statehood in 1850, Mariposa County's first elected treasurer was Joseph Marr, who was headquartered at Agua Fria, the original county seat. Because staffing was minimal in those days it was not surprising that Mr. Marr was required to collect taxes as one of the functions of his position.
So a good part of Marr's work was traveling about the county collecting the miners' tax from mines and miners, a task that he performed on horseback. Upon his return to Agua Fria, Marr often buried his collections for safekeeping, there being neither bank safe in town.
Early in December, 1851, the treasurer was known by his clerk to have on hand tax collections that included over three hundred fifty-dollar gold octagons. These, often referred to at the time as 'slugs' were supposedly produced by the private mint at Mt. Ophir by John L.
Moffat, shortly after to become California's first authorized U. S. assayer. The slugs were just over three inches across and an eighth of an inch thick, of .880 fine gold, so alloyed to be more resistant to wear in use.
Moffat, by the way, was also involved in the ownership and operation of the mine and mint on Mt Ophir, a hill six or seven miles west of Mariposa, for which they were named.
On the morning of December twelfth, a bright, sunshiny day, Marr told his clerk only that he had buried the tax monies for safekeeping but, as was usual with him, said nothing about where the cache was located. He then left, telling the clerk that he would be out making more
collections over the next two or three days.
Marr never returned. Late that day he neared the old Lewis store between Mariposa and LeGrand, where he intended to spend the night. A sudden storm had developed, with
high winds and torrential rain. Probably soaking wet and bone tired, Marr apparently decided to take a chance; he attempted to ford Deadman Creek, which was running full. It was the last stream he'd need to cross before reaching the store.
But the creek's name was prophetic; Marr and his horse were swept away and drowned. The cached tax money was never found despite extensive efforts by the clerk and others. It may still lie hidden somewhere in the rolling hills around the original site of the Agua Fria settlement, of which little or no trace is left. The location? Perhaps a half mile northeast of the present Highway 140, along Agua Fria road. The whole area is private property now; and trespass is strongly discouraged.
The amount hidden was claimed to consist of over fifteen thousand dollars in face value at the time. Today, collectors would willingly pay many times that amount for one or two of the gold octagons alone. Those slugs are controversial, county officials at one time claiming there
was never any money short. Others, some even to this day, insist Moffat never minted any private coinage at the Mount Ophir Mint. But no one really knows.
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