Two huge California Gold Rush era assayers’ ingots, recovered from the fabled SS Central America and with a combined weight of more than 100 pounds of gold, will be on display at the Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo Sept. 10-12 at the Long Beach, Calif., Convention Center.“The display will feature a Kellogg & Humbert gold bar that weighs 662.28 ounces and a Justh & Hunter ingot that is 598.08 troy ounces,” said Ronald J. Gillio, expo general chairman. “Both were recovered in the late 1980s from the Central America, the legendary Ship of Gold that was carrying tons of California Gold Rush coins and ingots to New York City when it sank during a hurricane in 1857.”
The Kellogg & Humbert gold bar is stamped as number 804 with an 1857 value of $12,225.62. It is the fourth largest gold bar of the 532 ingots recovered from the Central America. The Justh & Hunter ingot is number 4255 and marked at the time as $11,089.95.
The ingots will be displayed by Monaco Rare Coins of Newport Beach, Calif.
“The exhibit also will include some of the finest known Augustus Humbert $50 denomination octagonal slugs produced in San Francisco during the height of the Gold Rush,” said Adam Crum, Monaco vice president. “These colossal gold bars and big $50 coins, literally, are treasures of Wild West history.”
During the three-day Long Beach Expo, more than 1,000 dealers will be buying and selling rare coins, paper money, stamps, postcards, historic documents, antiques, estate jewelry and other collectibles. Some will provide free, informal appraisals for visitors.
A free gold coin will be awarded daily to a registered visitor. Young numismatists’ activities including a children’s treasure hunt will be held on Sept. 12.
A half dozen educational programs and collector club meetings will be conducted during the show. Heritage Auction Galleries will hold a public sale of U.S. and world coins and paper money.
Expo public hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 10-11, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 12. The show is closed on Sunday. A complete schedule of events is online at www.LongBeachShow.com.
General admission, good for all three days, is $6. Members of any coin or stamp club who display a valid membership card pay $4. Admission is $3 for seniors 65 and older. Children ages 7 and younger are admitted for free. Discount coupons are available on the Web site.
Source: numismaticnews.net
