The sinking of the S.S. Central America was an unmitigated disaster that resulted in devastating loss of life and had far-reaching economic consequences. It did, however, preserve a cache of Gold Rush-era treasure for present-day historians. That treasures serves as a time capsule, putting history in our hands. Beyond the thousands of coins and hundreds of gold ingots inadvertently saved, the loss of the S.S. Central America also revealed just how important the previously little-known firm of Justh & Hunter was to the local economies in San Francisco and Marysville.
Numismatists knew the history of Justh & Hunter, established by the Hungarian lithographer Emanuel Justh and Solomon Hillen Hunter, a merchant in the Baltimore shipping industry, prior to the discovery of the Central America. The two men, each of whom had moved to California in search of wealth, joined forces on May 15, 1855 by opening an assay office in San Francisco. Later, they would open a second office in Marysville. What we did not know what just how prominent and productive those offices were. The recovery of Justh & Hunter gold ingots from the S.S. Central America included 59 bars from the San Francisco office plus 28 more from Marysville. That combined total of 87 ingots was second only to Kellogg & Humbert. Another seven bars were recovered in 2014, bringing the total number of Justh & Hunter products to 94. Clearly, the firm, which closed its doors in 1858, was among most respected assayers of the later Gold Rush period, turning millions of dollars of gold dust and nuggets into these readily exchangeable commodities.
Justh & Hunter Gold Ingot, 5.24 Ounces
From Their San Francisco Office
The Smallest Justh & Hunter Bar
The 2nd Smallest SSCA Bar (second to Blake & Co)
5.24 oz Justh & Hunter Gold Ingot. $92.18 Face Value
This 4,000-series bar from mold J&Ssf-01 measures 32mm x 34mm. Dave Bowers describes it as follows: “Very small size ingot with nearly square face is imprinted with serial number, firm name, and value. Two vertical lines protrude from bottom of $. Fineness and weight on separate edges. Punching somewhat irregularly aligned due to small space available. Part of serial number 16, repeated on the reverse.” The bright yellow-gold surfaces of this diminutive ingot, one of the smallest recovered from the SSCA wreck, features an area of rust from the ship on the reverse.
[08/2023] https://coins.ha.com/itm/s.s.-central-america-gold-ingots/justh-and-hunter-gold-ingot-524-ounces-pcgs/a/1364-3135.s ($78,000)
This ingot was previously housed in a clear acrylic case before it was slabbed in a Gold Foil PCGS holder.
See: https://coins.ha.com/itm/s.s.-central-america-gold-bars/justh-and-hunter-gold-ingot-524-ounces-pcgs-10171-/a/1271-5219.s ($84,000)
For a census on bar serial numbers, weights, and monetary values discovered through several recoveries of the SSCA, please refer to: https://finestknown.com/california-gold-rush-monetary-ingots/