Lot 2789
Henry Hentsch, San Francisco Gold Bar. No. 3219. 181.70 oz. 912 Fine. $3425.53. This is the 3rd largest of the 33 ingots recovered from the S.S. Central America treasure. This Henry Hentsch gold ingot is a beautiful example of the sunken treasure recovered from the now world-famous shipwreck. This ingot displays sharply defined stampings on the face, assay chips or cuts on the lower left corner of the face (to determine the fineness of 912), and the separate serial or control number "3219" on the back. All would agree this remarkable ingot must appear about as it did on the day of its manufacture during the historic gold rush era.
Gold ingots of Henry Hentsch barely made a sonar echo on the screen and were virtually unheard of before the discovery of the S. S. Central America group. Historical accounts tell us that Henry Hentsch arrived in California from Switzerland in 1854. He established a banking house in San Francisco. In 1856, assay services were added. The business continued until 1873, when it formed a part of the Swiss-American Bank.
Note: Sotheby's, which sold several Hentsch bars in 1999 within a tight serial number range (3067-3229), observed that the Hentsch bars "had a matte finish quite unlike that of any other bar in the S.S. Central America discovery." On behalf of this rare type of ingot, the present Henry Hentsch bar will find a welcome home in the collection of a historian and numismatic connoisseur. Comes with a Special edition book written by Q. David Bowers.
Estimated Value $350,000 - 450,000.
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| Realized $287,500 |
