Tag: shipwreck
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San Francisco Mint (Ford)
Read more: San Francisco Mint (Ford)Purportedly, eleven (11) gold bars made by the U.S. Mint in San Francisco were lost on the ship of the S.S. Brother Jonathan which sank off the coast of California on July 30, 1865. The Bank of California once displayed five consecutive serial numbers (2178-2188) gold bars that came from this shipwreck — all of…
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Henry Hentsch, Assayer
Read more: Henry Hentsch, AssayerIn 1856, 21 year old Henry Hentsch set up banking office in San Francisco. In its February 2, 1856 edition, the Alta California announced: “ASSAY OFFICE OF HENRY HENTSCH. Northwest corner of Montgomery and Jackson Streets. I have this day annexed to my Banking Establishment an Assay Office, and am prepared to carry on this…
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Harris, Marchand & Co, Assayers
Read more: Harris, Marchand & Co, AssayersHarris, Marchand & Co. was formed on October 3, 1855, by Harvey Harris, who had come to America from Denmark, and who had worked as a melter and refiner at the New Orleans Mint, later moving to San Francisco where he worked at the Mint there, as well as at Kellogg & Humbert and at…
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Blake & Co, Assayers (SSCA)
Read more: Blake & Co, Assayers (SSCA)Gorham Blake arrived in San Francisco on May 22, 1852, and gained employment as an express agent for Adams & Co., and later as a buyer of raw gold for Wells, Fargo & Co. In October 1853, he became an assayer. In late 1855, the partnership of Blake & Agrell, refiners and assayers, was established…
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Kellogg & Humbert, Assayers
Read more: Kellogg & Humbert, AssayersThe sinking of the SS Central America created a massive and accidental accumulation of treasure – at the bottom of the ocean. Bound for New York with tons of gold ingots, coins, nuggets, and dust mined from the California gold fields, its loss created a unique time capsule of information and artifacts of an era…
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Justh & Hunter, Assayers
Read more: Justh & Hunter, AssayersThe 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…