George E. Rogers began his career in the assaying business as clerk to G.W. Bell of San Francisco. When Bell died in an accidental nitroglycerine explosion in 1866 Rogers joined with L.A. Sanderson and continued Bell’s assaying business under the name Sanderson & Co. Rogers ran the office, Sanderson was the money man, and Edward Wolleb, who had been Bell’s assayer, continued in his old job under new masters. The Sanderson-Rogers partnership only lasted four months, however, being amicably dissolved on August 23, 1866 with Sanderson recommending his clients remain with Rogers. Rogers continued in the assaying business in Bell’s old shop on 512 California Street, San Francisco and Wolleb remained with him.
The firm was then known under Rogers’ name. A few months later, Rogers formed a partnership with H.W. Brown and opened Rogers & Brown on October 17, 1866. Rogers & Brown were in business late 1866 to the fall of 1867, when mention of the business by that name ceases and Rogers is listed in city directories under his own name as an assayer. Rogers may have maintained an assaying business under his own name in 1867 and 1868 and the 1870 census lists his occupation as assayer, but after that date city directories do not give him an occupation in their listings and it may be that he had retired from the business of assaying.
10.31 oz George E. Rogers, Assayer. San Francisco, California. Silver presentation assay ingot.
Overall appearance of Very Fine. Deep silver gray color. Some surface roughness, cooling depression on back left mostly as poured, assayer’s logotype soft in places, Oz punched over the left side of an oval shrinkage depression. Unusual decorative backgrounds provided for the stampings presumably because of the special nature of the ingot. This is the only George E. Rogers presentation ingot known both to the cataloguer and Mr. Ford. It is not possible to date this ingot with any precision. The absence of the OIR stamp shows it must have been made after 1868 and the absence of Rogers’ name listed with the assayer occupation in Langley’s San Francisco directory after September, 1872 suggests it might have been made before that date.
- Face: GEO. E. ROGERS ASSAYER [in logotype] / O[z] 10.31 / 675 S / FINE / $8.99.
- Back: 2.
- Top side: blank.
- Bottom side: blank.
- Left side: blank.
- Right side: H.H. MARTIN.
- Dimensions: 56.2 x 33.9 x 17.1 mm.
- Stated weight: 10.31 ozs.
From the John J. Ford, Jr. Collection
Provenance: Noted as in the Kagin Collection on June 24, 1958. Mr. Ford’s informational card and Rankow photographs accompany the lot.
[10/2007] https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-AV6P9/george-e-rogers-assayer-san-francisco-california-silver-presentation-assay-ingot ($43,125)