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How was the enormous treasure recovered at depths
of 8000 feet?
What is the treasure worth?
What was gold worth in 1857?
What would one of the assayer ingots actually buy
in 1857?
What is the largest assayer ingot previously
known to exist?
Why didn’t large private assayer ingots survive?
Where is the treasure now?
Shouldn’t the treasure be in a museum?
How were the efforts of Captain Herndon perceived?
Will the History Channel re-run their program
"Ship of Gold?"
Where can I find a VHS copy of the History Channel program
"Ship of Gold?"
How much did Warner Brothers pay for the movie
rights to "Ship of Gold?"
How can I acquire a piece of this historic treasure?
(If you have questions we haven't answered, please
email us.)
How was the enormous
treasure recovered at depths of 8000 feet?
The Washington Post’s September 14, 1989, article titled, "Storybook
Treasure Found off South Carolina" stated, "Thompson and company . . .
set out to do what never had been done before . . . not only to find the
Central America but to excavate it with archaeological precision on the
deep ocean floor using only undersea robotics. Nemo, their 12,000-pound,
remotely operated exploration vehicle, has the capacity of recovering items
as large as a 1,000 pound anchor or as small as a dime."
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What is the treasure
worth?
Excluding the personal and nautical historic artifacts, the treasure
trove of gold coins, ingots and miner’s dust should be placed in private
collections for as much as $200 million.
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What was gold worth
in 1857?
During the California Gold Rush era of the 1850s, the United States
Dollar was fixed to gold at the rate of $20.67 per pure troy ounce.
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What would one of the
assayer ingots actually buy in 1857?
In the California gold fields, a day’s wages was $5. Most of the ingots
have a currency value of over $1,000, representing almost a year’s wages
in the highly inflated California economy. The price of steerage accommodations
on the SS Central America was $150. First-cabin accommodations were $300,
which was quite a sum in those days.
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What is the largest
assayer ingot previously known to exist?
The most renowned numismatic reference guide, the Red Book, documents
eight specimens that range in weight from 1.5 to 2.5 ounces. The Red Book
also records the auction sale of a 2.5-ounce F. D. Kohler ingot (stamped
with a $50 currency value) from the Norweb collection for $200,000 in 1989.
The Smithsonian Institution received specimens from the famed Ford collection,
the largest of which is about 2 ounces -- a fraction of the Central America’s
prized "Eureka" bar, which weighs 933 ounces. The Eureka bar is stamped
with the 1857 currency value of $17,433.57.
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Why didn’t large
private assayer ingots survive?
Considering that private assayer coins survived in great quantity and
are highly prized by collectors, it is amazing that very few specimens,
all quite small, of the assayer ingots are still in existence. Although
the assayer ingots were accepted in transactions, many of the private coins
and ingots were refined and used to make new United States coinage, once
the US mints were able to meet demand. Obviously, small private coins were
preferred and hoarded, unlike the larger, inconsistent forms of money,
such as ingots.
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Where is the treasure
now?
The bulk of the treasure trove -- the approximately 7000 coins from the
then-new San Francisco mint -- was quickly purchased individually by private
collectors. Only a few coins remain available for acquisition through dealers.
The assayer ingots, the crème de la crème of the hoard, were
released for public sale recently and can be acquired from Authorized Ingot
Dealers. Also, the miner’s raw gold dust and nuggets are available for
public acquisition. Monaco Financial has secured a hoard comprising the
bulk of what remains available for acquisition.
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Shouldn’t the treasure
be in a museum?
Many American’s feel that the entire treasure should be in a museum.
They are correct that each piece is so rare and historically important
that it warrants that level of appreciation and conservation. Fortunately,
many investors and collectors do consider giving their family heirlooms
to museums to be preserved for posterity.
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How were the efforts
of Captain Herndon perceived?
Not only was the Herndon Monument erected in 1860 at the United States
Naval Academy in Annapolis, but as Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper
wrote in 1857, "There cannot be a doubt about the fact that the name of
Captain Herndon will ever be held in grateful remembrance among all the
heroes who have achieved triumphs upon the sea."
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Will the History
Channel re-run their program "Ship of Gold?"
Yes, the History Channel has aired their "Ship of Gold" program several
times. The next scheduled date is March 11, 2001. E-mail them directly
to inquire about future airing dates.
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Where can I find a VHS copy
of the History Channel program "Ship of Gold"
The History Channel has sold VHS copies of the program "Ship of Gold"
online. Also, Monaco Financial, an Authorized Ingot Dealer, makes the video
available to those who are interested. You may call 888-900-9948 for
details.
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How much did Warner
Brothers pay for the movie rights to "Ship of Gold"
The highly regarded rare coin periodical, The Numismatist, reported
that a sum of $800,000 was paid by Warner Brothers to acquire the movie
rights to the best seller, "Ship of Gold."
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How can I acquire a piece
of this historic treasure?
There is a rare and important opportunity to acquire artifacts from
this historic treasure at the moment. Consider calling an Authorized Ingot
Dealer for details. You may call Monaco Financial, the primary ingot dealer,
toll free at 888-900-9948.
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(If you have questions we haven't answered, please
email us.)
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