LOT #3399 |
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His Majesty's Mint, Bombay Silver Ingot. 1,058.7 Ounces....
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Sold on Apr 30, 2025 for:
$40,800.00
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Description
Bombay Silver Ingot, 1,058.7 Ounces
From the S.S. Gairsoppa Treasure
His Majesty's Mint, Bombay Silver Ingot. 1,058.7 Ounces. The
S.S. Gairsoppa was a British civilian ship launched in 1919,
which was recruited to assist with the war effort during World War
II. In December 1940, the Gairsoppa left port at Calcutta,
bound for Liverpool, England, laden with some 240 tons of silver
bullion in the form of large ingots. However, on February 15th,
1941, hazardous weather conditions caused Gairsoppa's
captain, Gerald Hyland, to separate from the merchant ship convoy
to conserve coal and change course to intercept Galway Bay in
Ireland for refueling, not having the resources on board to
complete the journey to Liverpool. It was during this isolated
course change that a German U-boat U-101, in an effort to
interfere with Allied war efforts, torpedoed the Gairsoppa.
She sank quickly, and most of her crew was lost. Three lifeboats
launched from the sinking ship, but only one ever made it to
land.In 2011, the UK government awarded the U.S.-based company Odyssey Marine Exploration a contract to find the wreck and salvage its silver bars. Odyssey Marine located the wreck in September 2011, approximately three miles below sea level, off the coast Ireland. The initial salvage operation in July 2012 yielded 1,203 silver ingots totaling 1.4 million ounces, and by July 2013, another 1,574 silver ingots had been recovered.
This massive ingot represents those ingots salvaged from the S.S. Gairsoppa, embodying not only a sunken treasure of unprecedented size but also a less-often explored aspect of WWII history: the German sinking of civilian ships that had been recruited for the Allied war effort. The ingot's inscriptions are laid out vertically on its face: Circular HM MINT BOMBAY hallmark / JZ0430 / 5 / FINENESS / 999.2 / 1058.7 / OZ. The ingot is trapezoidal in shape and measures (on the face): 90mm x 285mm; (on the base): 120mm x 330mm; and is 100mm thick. Most of the surfaces show silvery-gray patina with granular texture induced by seawater exposure. The upper-right corner of the ingot has an area of brilliant, smooth surface.
From The Marcello and Luciano Collection.
View all of [The Marcello and Luciano Collection ]
Auction Info
2025 April 30 - May 4 CSNS US Coins Signature® Auction #1383 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
Apr-May, 2025
30th-4th
Wednesday-Sunday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 31
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 615
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
20% of the successful bid per lot.
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