Heritage Auctions stands as the leading auction house worldwide for collectors, showcasing a variety of valuable gold ingots retrieved from the S.S. Central America wreckage. This article highlights some of the most sought-after ingots sold at auction, along with captivating historical details about the private assay firms responsible for creating these ingots during the 1850s.
The information provided on this page is predominantly sourced from historical accounts featured in different listings at Heritage Auctions. The momentous discovery of gold in northern California in January 1848 marked a significant turning point for the state, the nation, and those who eagerly joined the frenzied “rush” to the region.
California, once a sparsely populated Mexican territory, rapidly transformed into a vital contributor to the U.S. economy following John Marshall’s discovery. The massive influx of California gold into the American economy led to a spike in the value of silver, a trend that would later be balanced out with the discovery of the Comstock Lode.
The 18.41 ounce ingot from Harris Marchand & Co. did not find a buyer at a 2010 auction.
The Gold Rush led to a large influx of European and American migrants to the western region. During this time, gold dust was used in San Francisco for commercial transactions, despite its inconsistency in purity and occasional mixing with brass flakes, which affected its value.
The citizens of San Francisco demanded a branch mint to standardize coinage. The San Francisco Mint was finally established in 1854, but struggled to meet the demand for converting placer gold into coins or ingots of different sizes.
Private assayers, with good reputations, filled the gap by converting gold dust into stamped ingots quickly, some in just 24 hours.
A Kellogg & Humbert gold ingot weighing 14.01 ounces was auctioned off for $51,600 on September 5, 2019. Assayers’ ingots were commonly used as a form of trade, with those recovered from the S.S. Central America proving to be particularly popular for transferring large amounts of wealth.
During the 1850s, a significant amount of gold from California was transported to eastern banks along a challenging route. This journey involved shipping the gold from San Francisco to Panama by ship, traveling fifty miles across the Isthmus of Panama, and then sailing again to the East Coast of the United States.
The completion of the Panama Railroad in 1855 made the transportation of cargo, including large quantities of gold, much more efficient. On September 3, 1857, the S.S Central America set sail from Aspinwall, now known as Colón in Panama, headed for New York City with ten tons of gold, 477 passengers, and 101 crew members on board.
Tragically, on September 9th, the ship encountered a fierce hurricane that destroyed its sails, flooded the boiler room, and led to a loss of power. The lack of functioning bilge pumps ultimately led to the sinking of the S.S. Central America, resulting in the loss of 425 passengers and crew members in what was considered the most significant American navigation disaster of the time.
In a historic painting from 1857, the sinking of the S.S. Central America is depicted, an event that resulted in the loss of gold now valued at over $800 million. This massive loss of wealth caused a financial panic that impacted the economies of the United States and Europe. Despite the treasure resting at the bottom of the sea at a depth of 7,200 feet, advances in technology eventually led to adventurers seeking to recover it.
In September of 1988, the Columbus-America Discovery Group embarked on the first expedition to the sunken treasure ship, successfully recovering an estimated $100-$150 million in gold. Subsequent expeditions in the following years also yielded additional gold and other treasures. A selection of gold ingots from five prominent California private assay firms were salvaged from the S.S. Central America and auctioned off in recent years.
Justh & Hunter, one of the firms, had a significant operation as evidenced by the retrieval of 85 of their gold ingots during the recovery efforts. The total value of these bars in 1857 was $232,328.86, equivalent to over $7 million in 2021. Interestingly, Justh, originally from Verboca, Hungary, immigrated to San Francisco from Hamburg, Germany, and established a lithography business before venturing into the assaying business in the early 1850s while employed at the U.S. Branch Mint.
Just a year later, in May 1855, Justh teamed up with Solomon Hillen Hunter to form an assaying partnership. Justh’s exit from the branch mint seemed to be on good terms, as their new partnership was recommended by U.S. Assayer Agoston Haraszthy and branch mint Superintendent Louis Birdsall. These officials praised Justh’s skills, stating that they were pleased to recommend him as a competent and trustworthy Assayer.
Solomon Hunter, originally from Maryland, had previously worked in the shipping trade in Baltimore before coming to San Francisco. Interestingly, he arrived in California on the S.S. George Law, a ship that was later renamed as the S.S. Central America. This connection would eventually bring attention to their firm in the numismatic community around 130 years later.
On August 4, 2020, a 7.67 Ounce gold ingot from Justh & Hunter was sold at auction for $66,000. The partnership quickly expanded, opening a branch assay office in Marysville by May 1856 to provide faster service to the gold fields. Justh & Hunter became a prominent California assayer until the partners went their separate ways in July 1858.
Fast forward to January 14, 2022, when a larger 866.19 Ounce Justh & Hunter gold ingot was sold for an impressive $2,160,000. This ingot, marked with the Justh & Hunter hallmark, weighs 892 fine ounces and has a value of $15971.93. It shows a few patches of reddish patina and was poured into Mold J&Hsf-15, measuring 87 mm x 283 mm.
Justh ingots come in a variety of sizes, ranging from small to enormous. The smallest one weighs 5.24 ounces, but the largest one, from the San Francisco office, is a whopping 866.19 ounces. This gigantic ingot is second in weight only to the “Eureka!” Kellogg & Humbert ingot, which weighs 933.94 ounces. This Justh & Hunter ingot holds the title of being the largest from that assaying office worldwide and is, in fact, the largest ingot ever to be auctioned off to the public.
To give you an idea of how much this ingot is worth today, let’s look back to the year 1857 when carpenters in New York City earned $1.79 per day, working six days a week, making $10.74 per week. With this ingot valued at $15,971.93, it could pay the weekly wages of 1,487 carpenters back in the 19th century.
It’s no surprise that the sinking of the S.S. Central America had a significant impact on the financial markets in New York and played a role in the Panic of 1857. A Justh & Hunter gold ingot weighing 464.65 ounces was recently sold on May 5, 2022 for $1,320,000. The ingot has a bright yellow-gold color, typical of its .912 fineness. This Large Size Ingot, known as a Marysville ingot, features company hallmarks on both sides of its horizontally laid-out top surface.
The marks that help identify this item are located on the upper side: NO.9521 / the J&H logo, another J&H logo / 464.65 ounces. 912 fine. / priced at $8759.90. This bar was formed using Mold J&Hm-08, which gives it dimensions of 72mm x 216mm and a thickness of 51mm.
A unique characteristic found in Marysville ingots is the small J&H stamp located on the corners where assay chips were removed. This particular ingot is the largest 9000 series Marysville ingot that has been discovered. Its rarity and significance in understanding Gold Rush California cannot be emphasized enough.
Marysville, known as the “Gateway to the Gold Fields,” became the second location for Emil Justh and Solomon H. Hunter’s assay office. Located 125 miles northwest of San Francisco, the partners set up in a small brick building on 1st Street near D Street. Hunter took the helm in Marysville while Justh continued to oversee operations at their first location in the city.
Marysville was a bustling town with a population of about 8,000 people during the Gold Rush era, with properties valued at a combined $3.3 million. Another well-known assaying firm, Harris, Marchand, & Company, also had a presence in Marysville.
In 1857, a whopping $20 million worth of gold was shipped from Marysville to the Eastern states. It is believed that much of this gold was in the form of ingots like the one being showcased here.
The Justh & Hunter 327.97 Ounce Gold Ingot was sold for a cool $564,000 on January 5, 2017. This hefty 327.97-ounce bar is considered to be in the “extremely large size” category (ranging from 300.01 ounces to 500.00 ounces). It is the second-largest Justh & Hunter bar linked to the Marysville office, following a 464.65-ounce ingot, and had a value of $6,162.78 when it was initially created.
Interestingly, Justh and Hunter did not have much experience in assaying when they decided to venture into the business. Justh had a background in lithography, while Hunter was previously involved in the shipping industry in Baltimore. Despite their lack of experience, Justh gained knowledge working as an assistant assayer at the San Francisco Mint, while Hunter’s qualifications in assaying remain unclear. However, their inexperience did not hinder the success of their business.
To build their reputation, Justh & Hunter began advertising in California newspapers in 1855, offering guaranteed assays and promising to cover any differences with the U.S. Mints. They also received endorsements from reputable figures such as San Francisco Mint Superintendent Dr. Louis Aiken Birdsall and Assayer Agoston Haraszthy. Despite their limited field experience, Justh & Hunter quickly established themselves as a reliable duo.
Their innovative approach to gold refining gained them recognition, with The Mining Magazine praising their adoption of a Parisian invention using gas instead of a sand-bath in boiling assays. This technique was described as a revolutionary advancement that could save labor, inconvenience, and expenses in the refining process. Their superior refining capabilities were further highlighted by the high average fineness of deposits at the San Francisco Mint, particularly those from Justh & Hunter’s private refinery.
Although Justh & Hunter dissolved their partnership in 1858, their legacy continued with the sale of a 266.97-ounce gold ingot in 2019 for $420,000. The ingot, bearing the company’s hallmarks, serves as a physical reminder of their contributions to the gold assaying industry.
The surfaces of this unique ingot shine in a bright yellow-gold hue, with just a hint of patina from the old rusted ship’s hull. A rare find from the Marysville branch of Justh & Hunter, this Very Large Size ingot is a significant piece.
Weighing in at 179.50 ounces, this ingot was sold for a whopping $376,000 on January 5, 2017. What sets this ingot apart is not only its impressive size but also its rarity. It is the only ingot to be cast from this particular mold size and it bears traces of the rusted iron hull of the S.S. Central America on all six sides.
For collectors who focus on mold size, this ingot is from mold J&Hsf-09 and is the only one in existence. Its history and unique features make it a valuable addition to any collection.
The items are arranged in a horizontal position on the upper side and may be a bit difficult to decipher due to the thick layer of iron oxide covering them. The top side displays the following information: NO. 4250 / J&H logo / 179.50 ounces / 886 FIN / $3287.50. The last two digits of the serial number (50) are also found on the reverse side. The dimensions of the ingot are 124 x 51 x 47 mm.
A Justh & Hunter 160.64 Ounce Gold Ingot was auctioned on January 13, 2021 for $372,000. This particular ingot is of a Very Large size and has a unique, almost cube-like shape. Despite its appearance, the ingot feels heavier when held. The top side features the following layout: NO. 4257. / J&H hallmark / 160.64 OZS 891 FINE / $2958.76.
On one side of the ingot, there is a hint of rust, while the other side is heavily covered in encrusted rust from the ship’s iron hull, with some patches visible on the remaining sides. This particular ingot was cast in San Francisco, indicated by the 4,000 series serial number, whereas the Marysville office typically used a 9,000 series. A historic mention of the partnership between Justh and Hunter can be found in a May 23, 1855 article in the Daily Alta California.
A new business partnership was announced on May 29, 1857 between Justh, Hunter, and Charles Urzay, who had previously worked with Agoston Haraszthy. Unfortunately, the partnership was short-lived, as Urzay left on August 15 of the same year.
Less than a year later, on July 5, 1858, Justh and Hunter declared that they would not be accepting any bullion for refining and coinage until further notice. Their successful partnership officially ended on July 10, 1858 when S.H. Hunter withdrew from the firm.
The narrative of John Glover Kellogg serves as a prime example of the California Gold Rush era and the entrepreneurial drive of individuals in the mid-19th century. Born on December 3, 1823, in Marcellus, New York, Kellogg attended various schools before pursuing law studies in Auburn, New York. However, the allure of the Gold Rush led him to San Francisco, where he arrived on October 12, 1849.
Kellogg quickly landed a job at Moffat & Co., where he oversaw the production of fifty dollar slugs as part of a government contract. He stuck with the company for four years, despite changes in ownership and location shifts under the leadership of Curtis, Perry, and Ward.
When Moffat & Co. closed down in December 1853 to make way for the opening of the San Francisco Mint in April 1854, Kellogg wasted no time in teaming up with G. F. Richter, a former cashier and assayer at his former workplace. Together, they founded “Kellogg & Richter” and got straight into assaying operations, quickly earning the trust of the community.
On January 14, 2022, a Kellogg & Humbert 121.61 ounce gold ingot was sold for $336,000. This chunk of gold falls into the “Very Large” category and is quite a hefty piece indeed. It features the markings “No 951 / K&H hallmark / 121.61 Oz / 897 FINE / $2254.96” neatly arranged on the top side, with bright yellow-gold surfaces that show no signs of rust from the ship’s iron hull. This ingot was poured into Mold K&H-04, measuring 55 mm x 111 mm.
The Issue with Coinage during the California Gold Rush
One might think that with the huge amounts of gold being mined in northern California in the mid-1800s, there would be plenty of coins in circulation. However, Larry Schweikart and Lynne Pierson Doti argue in their 1998 article that this was not the case. Despite the abundance of gold, there was actually a shortage of coins in California. The United States didn’t establish a mint in San Francisco until 1854, leaving the state with a scarcity of coin despite being surrounded by gold.
Instead of using coins for day-to-day transactions, most people used unrefined gold dust, which varied in purity and had to be weighed for each transaction. This led to the need for settlers to carry scales around along with their pouches of gold dust. As a result, disputes over the value of gold dust based on its weight and purity were common.
Private assayers like John Grover Kellogg and Augustus Humbert played a vital role in the economy of the Gold Rush. They set up businesses to refine gold dust into bars, ingots, and coins for local commerce. However, not all assayers were reliable, with some producing products of varying weights and quality.
One famous example of an ingot from the Gold Rush era is the Kellogg & Humbert 160.05 Ounce Gold Ingot, which was sold for $312,000 in 2019. The ingot is large in size, bright yellow-gold in color, with markings showing its weight and purity. It serves as a physical reminder of the challenges faced with coinage during the California Gold Rush.
A few weeks after Kellogg & Richter opened, there was a shortage of gold coins in circulation. This led a group of bankers and bullion dealers from San Francisco and Sacramento to ask the firm to produce gold coins. In no time, they had made over $6 million worth of twenty dollar gold pieces.
Kellogg continued his work in making and testing gold in San Francisco until 1866. He then decided to retire to New York, where he could relax and travel, knowing he had made a significant mark in the history of the California Gold Rush.
One notable item from Kellogg & Humbert is a 103.96 ounce gold ingot that was sold for $240,000 on August 24, 2022. This ingot is considered a Very Large Size Ingot and was made in Mold K&H-04, measuring 55mm x 111mm. The top side is neatly engraved with the details: No 806 / (K&H hallmark) / 103.96 OZ / 896 FINE / $1925.54. The surfaces are shiny and well-maintained, especially on the top side.
Augustus Humbert was highly regarded in Gold Rush California, known for his role as the former United States Assayer of Gold in San Francisco. Described as a man who made significant contributions to the state, he partnered with John Kellogg to establish an assaying and coining firm in 1855, which operated until 1860.
The trust in Kellogg & Humbert was evident when the first retrieval of the S.S. Central America in the late 1980s yielded 341 ingots from their firm, ranging in size from 5.71 ounces to 933.94 ounces, far surpassing other firms.
Gorham Blake entered the mining and assaying industry at a young age when he was appointed Superintendent of Iron Mines in Vermont at 21. He later ventured west with his brother Frank W. Blake, arriving in San Francisco in 1855. Gorham worked for Wells Fargo buying gold dust and later became the owner of the Shaws Flat Ditch and the Dardanelles Mine. In 1853, he founded Blake & Co. as an assaying company.
On January 10, 2019, a 19.19 ounce gold ingot from Blake & Co. was auctioned off for a whopping $192,000. Blake gained a solid reputation among miners by ensuring accurate assays and offering quick returns on payments in bars or coins within six hours, setting a high standard for trust in the local mining community.
Unlike other assaying companies, Blake & Co. went above and beyond in presenting their ingots attractively for possible circulation. The meticulous presentation of their ingots made them stand out as a trusted and reliable option for miners looking to get their gold valued.
Fast forward to August 15, 2023, and another remarkable Blake & Co. ingot was sold for $564,000. Weighing in at a whopping 157.40 ounces, this ingot is the largest known from Blake & Co. and falls into the “very large” category. The unique design of this ingot suggests that the mold used may have been custom-made for this particular piece.
The inscriptions on the ingot are laid out vertically and include essential information such as the company name, location, weight, and value. The ingot was poured into a specific mold, resulting in its unique dimensions of 55 mm x 149 mm. The exceptional quality and craftsmanship of this ingot make it a valuable and sought-after piece for collectors and investors alike.
Why were private minters and assay offices allowed to operate in Gold Rush California? The simple answer is that it worked. In 1866, John Jay Knox provided a detailed explanation in The Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, addressing this question and other related issues.
Knox pointed out that private assayers were able to run their operations more cost-effectively compared to government officers. Additionally, most large quartz mills preferred to do their own assaying, even if government offices were present in the same towns. Experienced assayers with established reputations could earn significantly higher compensation from mining corporations than what the United States government offered in salaries. This situation led to the government potentially only attracting mediocre assayers and workers, or those already employed seeking illegitimate pay increases, risking accusations of injustice and fraud.
An example of a valuable gold ingot from a private assayer is the Blake & Co. MS 96.62 Ounce Gold Ingot, which was sold for $384,000 on August 14, 2019. This rare and significant large-sized ingot from Blake & Co. carries the inscription “No. 5212 / BLAKE & Co / ASSAYERS / SACRAMENTO / 96.62 Oz / 899 FINE / VALUE / $1795.58.” The ingot was poured into mold B-04, resulting in dimensions of 55 x 124 mm and 25 mm thick, with deep coppery-colored incrustation on each of the six sides from the rusted iron hull of the ship.
Blake & Co.’s 19.15 ounce gold ingot was purchased on April 25, 2019 for a whopping $168,000. This tiny ingot, measuring at 42 x 52 x 13 mm, was clearly poured from Mold B-02, one of the five fixed-sized molds used by Blake & Co. for their ingots. The top of the ingot is inscribed with “BLAKE & Co / ASSAYERS / SACRAMENTO / 892 FINE / VALUE / $353.11.” It’s amazing how such a small piece of gold can hold such historical and monetary value!
The surfaces of the Blake ingots are carefully polished, giving them a shiny, mirror-like finish. The edges are also smoothly beveled. These attention to detail suggests that these bars were possibly meant to be used as a form of currency.
The assay office of Blake and Agrell was set up in Sacramento in 1855, but their partnership did not last long, lasting less than two months. The successor company, located in Sacramento, was situated closer to the gold fields compared to the assay offices in San Francisco, resulting in a thriving business for the local assayers. Blake & Co. only had one competitor in the area, Harris, Marchand & Co.
Both companies were situated on J Street. In 1856, Blake & Co. examined 200,000 ounces of gold, with the quality of the ore varying depending on the mine’s location. The highest quality was found in Michigan Bluff, valued at $20.15 per ounce, while the lowest came from Carson Valley, at just $12.13 per ounce.
The ingot in question contains some of the highest-grade ores mined in the area, valued at $18.43 per ounce. This is confirmed by the 892 Fine stamp on the bar.
Ingots assayed by Henry Hentsch are considered some of the rarest bars discovered from the recovery of the S.S. Central America, second only to those from Blake & Co. A total of 38 Hentsch ingots were found in both recovery efforts, with an additional five located in the 2014 season.
Out of the five assaying firms involved in the two major recovery efforts of the S.S. Central America, two had international renown: Harris, Marchand, and Henry Hentsch.
Desiré Marchand was granted his own assayer’s stamp when he was just a teenager, while Henry Hentsch came from a prestigious Swiss banking family. Despite his comfortable life in Switzerland, Hentsch chose to seek adventure and new opportunities in January 1854, despite already being wealthy. Arriving in San Francisco on May 31, 1854, he quickly set up a small banking office, utilizing his extensive banking experience dating back to 1842 in Switzerland.
With his background in banking, international connections, and expertise as an assayer, Henry Hentsch was able to establish himself as a key player in the California Gold Rush. His international connections, including reputable firms in Europe, allowed him to attract bullion depositors seeking trustworthy handling of their gold. Competing mainly with Desiré Marchand, Hentsch’s reputation grew further when he was appointed the official consul for Switzerland in 1859.
One of Henry Hentsch’s notable achievements was the sale of a 238.84-ounce gold ingot on May 5, 2022, for $540,000. The ingot featured Hentsch’s name vertically inscribed, alongside details of its weight and purity. Cast from mold HH-06, the ingot displayed a consistent yellow-gold color and measured 68 mm x 109 mm.
Swiss citizen Henry Hentsch made his way to San Francisco on May 31, 1854 aboard the mighty S.S. Sonora. Legend has it that he was born into a well-known banking family on July 23, 1818. Hentsch quickly made a name for himself in the bustling city by dabbling in banking, real estate, and even trying his hand at assaying.
At the age of 36 in 1854, Hentsch had gained significant experience working for the family business, Hentsch & Cie, since 1842 in Switzerland. It was a natural decision for Hentsch to expand his banking establishment by including an Assay Office, as announced in the Alta California paper on February 2. The newly added Assay Office, located at the Northwest corner of Montgomery and Jackson streets, was ready to conduct business in all its aspects with efficiency. Hentsch assured prompt execution of all orders and guaranteed the accuracy of all assays conducted.
On February 1, 1856, Hentsch introduced the Henry Hentsch 154.23 Ounce Gold Ingot, which was later sold on November 8, 2018, for $336,000. This particular ingot was a remarkable Very Large Size Hentsch ingot, ranked as the fifth largest one extracted from the S.S. Central America. The front side of the ingot displayed the following information in a vertical layout: No 3125 / 893 FINE / Hy HENTSCH / Oz 154.23 / $2847.07.
The serial number is replicated on the rear upper side in the same style and dimensions as it appears on the front side. Signs of crust from the corroded ship hull are visible mainly on the left side, with some marks also on the top and back. The dimensions of the ingot are 58 x 158 x 31 mm.
In contrast to many immigrants who moved to the US during the 1800s, Henry Hentsch retained his Swiss identity throughout his life and eventually went back to Geneva, assuming control of the family’s business there. Despite this, his Swiss-American bank remained based in San Francisco, overseen by his partner Francis Berton, boasting a $2 million capitalization back in 1873.
Henry Hentsch 176.25 Ounce Gold Bar
Auctioned off on September 5, 2019 for $324,000
This is a Large Sized ingot, measuring 57 x 157 x 33 mm. The inscriptions are neatly arranged on the upper side and read as follows: No 3213 / 894 FINE / Hy HENTSCH / Oz 176.25 / $3257.20.
The success of any private assayer in San Francisco hinged on the reputation of the owners. Hentsch, a Swiss citizen, was not only an assayer but also a banker. His assaying office was conveniently located next to his bank at the corner of Montgomery and Jackson streets in San Francisco.
Before coming to San Francisco, Hentsch had already built a strong reputation in Europe. This reputation followed him to California, where he advertised services such as issuing Bills of Exchange in major cities like New York, Liverpool, London, and others.
On August 15, 2023, a 119.45 Ounce Gold Ingot from Hentsch was sold for a whopping $300,082.80. This ingot was classified as “Very Large” sized, falling between 100.01 to 300.00 ounces. It was one of the largest Hentsch ingots recovered, with only five found in 2014. The imprints on the ingot were evenly spaced, displaying details such as the weight, purity, and value. The surfaces of the ingot retained most of their original yellow-gold color with some areas showing flecks and streaks of ruddy patina.
In 1858, Henry Hentsch moved his business to 120 Montgomery Street, where he invested in various ventures including a theater and serving as the Swiss Consul. In 1868, he returned to Switzerland to oversee the family bank, leaving Berton in charge of operations in California until the bank merged with the Swiss-American Bank in 1873. Hentsch passed away in Geneva at the age of 87 in 1905.
Among the treasures recovered from the S.S. Central America were 32 gold ingots from the company Harris, Marchand & Co. This firm had assay offices in Sacramento and Marysville, California. The gold bars varied in size and value, ranging from a small 9.87-oz bar worth $158.53 in 1857 to a large 295.20-oz bar valued at $5,351.73.
Harris, Marchand was the sole company in Gold Rush California to feature a coin-like hallmark on their gold ingots. Harvey Harris, a Danish individual in his early 40s, had previous experience with Justh & Hunter and Kellogg & Co., both well-known for their gold ingots found in the S.S. Central America treasure. Desiré Charles Marchand, a Belgian who later became a naturalized American, had a young age at the establishment of the firm, possibly as young as 16. This could be why Marchand highlighted his Mint of Paris credentials instead of his work experience.
One of the Harris, Marchand ingots, weighing 174.04 ounces, was sold for $528,000 on January 31, 2019. The ingot number, No. 7095, is at the top and centered, with the Harris, Marchand oval name punch and coin-like hallmark below, along with the weight in ounces. The company name and hallmark are also at the center on the right side, with the fineness noted below as 942 FINE.
The ingot proudly displays its worth from 1857 at the base of the top side: $3389.06. The back side was carefully finished by tapping, giving it a polished look. With its slightly trapezoidal shape, it was likely designed this way to make it easier to take out of the mold. The dimensions of the ingot are 65 x 177 x 25 mm.
Charles L. Farrington, the “and Company” in the business, hailed from Maine in the United States. Details about him are scarce in California Coiners & Assayers, except for a mention of his retirement from the company as per a newspaper article from May 30, 1857. It is unclear why he left, but it could be due to his age. The firm carried on without him as Harris & Marchand Assayers. An exquisite 55.05 ounce gold ingot from Harris, Marchand & Co. was auctioned on February 5, 2010, fetching $172,500. Similar to other ingots from the same company, this one displays irregular markings on the serial number, weight, fineness, and value. However, the striking HARRIS MARCHAND & CO imprint and the elegant circular MARCHAND / ESSAYEUR stamp remain precise and beautiful as always.
The gold ingot shines in a bright yellow-gold hue, with some imperfections from the casting process visible on most sides. It has a smoother bottom than usual, with cuts on the upper left of the top face and its diagonal opposite. The dimensions of the ingot are 42 x 112 x 20 mm.
Among the numerous gold ingots lost in the tragic sinking of the S.S. Central America, those from Harris, Marchand & Co. have only recently come into the spotlight following the ship’s salvage in the late 1980s. Out of the 37 Harris, Marchand ingots recovered from the ship, this particular ingot is the only one from their Marysville branch office, while the rest were from their main Sacramento office.
The Harris, Marchand MS & Co. 17.48 Ounce Gold Ingot was sold for $144,000 on March 14, 2019. This small to medium-sized ingot is almost square, with all the markings on the top face. Inscriptions on this side include: No 6508, curved H&M logo, circular H&M coin-like hallmark, 17.48 OZ., 885. FINE, and $319.78. The majority of the ingot is a yellow-gold color, except for some rust from the ship’s hull that remains on the lower portion of the back side and small bits of rust on the lower-left corner. The ingot measures 40 x 50 x 12 mm.
While Harris, Marchand & Co. didn’t make it through June 1857, the gold bars bearing their stamp did. Approximately thirty-six bars produced at the Sacramento office were in for quite a journey. Instead of being melted down in New York, they found themselves at the bottom of the ocean after being loaded onto the S.S. Central America. Over the span of more than a hundred years, these bars evolved into valuable pieces of history, becoming sought-after treasures. For additional information, check out Heritage Auctions or visit the source at https://westernmininghistory.com/.
