First of all, Happy New Year!I am sure that everyone is looking forward to another year of scintillating commentary in the E-Sylum throughout 2013.Anyhow, I have a question which one of our readers may be able to answer.

Regarding the sale of Alaska by Russia to the United States which was paid for with a cheque for $7.2M from the Treasury Department (New York) in August 1868, I was hoping that somebody may know how this cheque was redeemed.

Were the funds simply deposited by Russia as money on account with the Treasury or did gold bullion get physically transported by ship to Russia? If the latter, does anyone have any information on where the gold itself came from (i.e. was it perhaps issued in bars that were assayed at the Denver Mint's offices over the gold rush period?)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:AN ALASKA PURCHASE TREASURY WARRANT(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v15n18a19.html)