Heritage Sells 10 Shipwreck Gold Ingots at Auction for $580,750

Dallas, TX -- Furious demand and spirited bidding at Heritage Numismatic Auctions' January 9-13 Florida United Numismatists (FUN) Signature sale pushed prices to record-breaking levels. Prices realized for all coins and currency auctioned by Heritage at FUN that week exceeded $13 million. Among the most interesting pieces were 10 ingots salvaged from the famous shipwreck of the S.S. Central America, the largest treasure ever recovered. A book about the ship's sinking in 1857, its cargo and its salvage, Ship of Gold, In The Deep Blue Sea, by Gary Kinder (Atlantic Monthly Press, 1998) made the New York Times Best Seller List, and a major motion picture is currently in development by Warner Brothers.

All 10 ingots offered by Heritage from the S.S. Central America found new homes. And each ingot reached the mid-five-figure level, in some cases well over double the prices similar ingots fetched at auctions conducted by Christie's and Sotheby's just a couple years ago.

Below is a complete list of each description, along with the lot number, a URL link to a color photograph of the ingot, and the final price followed by (number of distinct bidders who placed a bid on that lot).

Blake & Co. Before the discovery of the gold on board the S.S. Central America, only patterns, R.8 and unique coins were known from this company. The top side has the bar number No / 5220 sideways, and lengthwise 835 FINE / $123.58. BLAKE & CO. is upside down on the lower edge, and 7.16 Oz is on the upper edge. Bright yellow-gold color, the surfaces show no trace of oxidation.
Lot 7903 S.S. Central America Gold Ingot. Blake & Co. $54,625 (11 bidders)

Harris Marchand & Co. The top of this small ingot reads: No 6510 / HARRIS MARCHAND & Co. Below the company name is the company's logo which is circular with the Eye of Jehovah in the center, MARCHAND above and ESSAYEUR below. Another side identifies the bar as 712 FINE, and the opposite side values the bar at $270.96 (in 1857). A very interesting and, of course, rare ingot that shows a few lines and specks of coppery discoloration from the gold alloy.
Lot 7904 S.S. Central America Gold Ingot. Harris Marchand & Co. $46,000 (13 bidders)

Harris Marchand & Co. An impressively heavy gold ingot that is just a bit wider than a Snickers bar. The top side reads: No 6526 / HARRIS MARCHAND & Co (in a semi-circle) / 55.05 OZ / (followed by the company's logo) / 875 FINE / $995.73. The other sides are unmarked. The surfaces show no signs of staining from the non-gold elements that remained in the alloy. An exceptionally rare opportunity to acquire this little-known California assayer.
Lot 7905 S.S. Central America Gold Ingot. Harris Marchand & Co. $86,250 (9 bidders)

Henry Hentsch. The top of the bar reads: No 3072 / 849 FINE / Hy HENTSCH / Oz 51.19 / $898.40. A couple of irregular areas of alloy stains are seen on the upper half of the top. Extremely rare.
Lot 7906 S.S. Central America Gold Ingot. Henry Hentsch. $80,500 (5 bidders)

Justh & Hunter. An impressive rectangular-shaped gold ingot. The top side reads: NO. 4288 / JUSTH & HUNTER (curved) / 25.55 OZS / 926 FINE / $489.08. The reverse is heavily oxidized with crusty rust colored reddish-brown color from the non-gold particles that remained in this high grade ingot. Only the last two digits of the individual bar number are located on the upper left of the back side.
Lot 7907 S.S. Central America Gold Ingot. Justh & Hunter. $51,750 (7 bidders)

Justh & Hunter. Extremely rare, little is known about this Gold Rush assayer, and the salvage of the Central America provided collectors with a few tangible remnants of this all but forgotten company. The top side of this small brick reads: NO. 4259. / JUSTH & HUNTER (curved) / 27.63 OZS. / $541.46. The surfaces are very rough and porous on the back and the duplicate individual ingot number only shows the 59, the 42 being lost in the porosity. There is no evidence of discoloration, undoubtedly because of the high fineness of the gold alloy. A wonderful opportunity for the advanced collector of territorial gold.
Lot 7908 S.S. Central America Gold Ingot. Justh & Hunter. $63,250 (10 bidders)

Justh & Hunter. The top of this rectangular bar has NO. 9498. followed by the company logo slightly curved below, then 29.83 OZS. 895 FINE, with the 1857 value at the bottom of $551.89. This intriguing ingot has a great deal of character. The reverse shows heavy brown oxidation from the impurities in the alloy that were on that side of the ingot. Apparently, certain of these impurities carried through to the top and have caused a crack that is seen on the top and one of the sides. A wonderful piece of territorial gold.
Lot 7909 S.S. Central America Gold Bar. Justh & Hunter. $57,500 (5 bidders)

Kellogg & Humbert. The top side reads: No 493 / 23.46 Oz / 864 FINE / $419.00. The company's rectangular stamp is on the left side and angled so that some of ASSAYERS is off the ingot. The individual ingot number is repeated again at the top of the back side. There is very little discoloration evident on any of the sides. Accompanied by a metal "treasure chest" presentation box.
Lot 7910 S.S. Central America Gold Ingot. Kellogg & Humbert. $40,250 (6 bidders)

Kellogg & Humbert. The top side reads: No 743 / 27.83 Oz / 896 FINE / $515.46. The right side has the company logo in a rectangular border: KELLOGG / & / HUMBERT / ASSAYERS. The back side repeats the individual ingot number, and that is the only side to show any appreciable amount of coppery discoloration.
Lot 7911 S.S. Central America Gold Ingot. Kellogg & Humbert. $48,875 (10 bidders)

Kellogg & Humbert. The top of this small, almost square ingot reads: No 762 / 31.57 Oz / 893 FINE / $582.77. The right side of the bar has the company's logo stamped into it in a rectangle: KELLOGG / & / HUMBERT / ASSAYERS. The back side repeats the individual bar's number 762. The top side is almost free from discoloration with four of the other five sides showing varying amounts of discoloration from the less-than-pure gold content of the ingot. Of obvious rarity and a great tie-in piece for anyone collecting the coins made by Kellogg or Humbert.
Lot 7912 S.S. Central America Gold Ingot. Kellogg & Humbert. $51,750 (6 bidders)

The Heritage Group includes Heritage Rare Coin Galleries, Heritage Numismatic Auctions, and Currency Auctions of America, which together comprise the world's largest dealer and auctioneer of rare coins and currency. The Heritage name is recognized worldwide for selection, quality, value, expertise, financial strength and technological and numismatic leadership. Year 2001 audited sales exceeded $150 million and assets were approximately $30 million. www.HeritageCoin.com is the Internet's most popular and highly trafficked rare coin site with over 45,000 registered members and approximately 80,000 unique users per month. HeritageCoin.com is the only coin site ever chosen by Forbes Best of the Web (1999 and 2001). McGraw Hill recently recommended its "Virtual Coin Collection" (http://www.heritagecoin.com/features/VCC/index.asp) as an excellent teaching resource. Heritage also won the last two Numismatic Literary Guild awards for Best Numismatic Web Site.