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Justh & Hunter Gold Ingot, PCGS Genuine. 18.60 Ounces....
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Sold on Mar 26, 2026 for:
$146,400.00
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Description
Justh & Hunter Gold Ingot, 18.60 Ounces
Ex: S.S. Central America
Justh & Hunter Gold Ingot, PCGS Genuine. 18.60 Ounces.
CAGB-356. Justh & Hunter ingots comprised the second largest
portion of the private assayer gold bars loaded onto the S.S.
Central America at Panama, having made the journey from
California. A total of 86 Justh & Hunter ingots were later
recovered from the shipwreck off the coast of the Carolinas,
ranging in weight from 5.24 to 866.18 ounces. The majority of these
ingots -- 60 -- are attributed to the firm's San Francisco office,
while the remaining 26 are from Justh & Hunter's Marysville
office.Solomon Hunter was a former exporter in Baltimore, while Emil Justh was a Hungarian immigrant with prior employment as an assistant assayer at the San Francisco Mint. Experience with the San Francisco Mint gave Justh a degree of respect in California that contributed to the success of the Justh & Hunter firm, but his resume in that regard was not entirely unusual, as the employees of many private assayers at one point worked for the U.S. branch mint at San Francisco. Moreover, Justh was a well-regarded employee in the view of the Mint. An ad in the Alta California in May 1855 (when Justh & Hunter was founded), included an endorsement by August Haraszthy, U.S. Assayer and Louis Aiken Birdsall, Superintendent of the San Francisco Mint:
"We hereby certify that Mr. E. Justh was Assistant Assayer in the U.S. Branch Mint, from April 1854, to this date, during which time he performed his duties most faithfully and intelligently, and we take great pleasure in recommending him to the public as a competent and faithful assayer."
This is a Small to Medium Sized Ingot (15.01 to 25.00-ounce weight class). Poured into Mold J&H S.F.-03 (34mm x 56 mm). It is one of only a few ingots recovered from the S.S. Central America from this mold. The top of the bar is laid out vertically: NO. 4346 / (company hallmark) / 18.60 OZS / 893 FINE. / $343.35. The surfaces are bright yellow-gold throughout, and there are no obvious marks observed. There is a partial fissure visible along the back of the ingot that passes partway through the thickness, but does not fully separate the bar into pieces. Part of the serial number (46) is redundantly stamped on the reverse. Thickness: approximately 17-18 mm. Slabbed by PCGS. Includes a copy of Q. David Bowers' A California Gold Rush History, black cover edition.
Auction Info
2026 March 26 - 28 US Coins Signature® Auction #1391 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
March, 2026
26th-28th
Thursday-Saturday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 35
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 7,503
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
22% of the successful bid per lot.
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