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Felix Grundy Hoard, Assayer, Gold Ingot. Felix Gr

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:130.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
Felix Grundy Hoard, Assayer, Gold Ingot. Felix Gr
<B>Felix Grundy Hoard, Assayer, Gold Ingot.</B></I> Felix Grundy Hoard was an assayer in what was then Fiddletown, California--present-day Oleta. Hoard was mentioned in most California directories from 1867-1871. He died March 3, 1871. It seems Hoard changed his profession in the later years of his life, as the 1871-1873 <I>Pacific Coast Business Directory</B></I> listed him as a stock and money broker, with no mention of him under the category of "assayers." While he was an assayer, Hoard received gold dust and nuggets from miners, refined and assayed it, and then issued stamped gold bars. His known ingots fall in a fairly narrow number range. They are usually in the 2177-2186 range, but a few higher numbered pieces are known. This may be the highest numbered Hoard ingot, with # 2205 offered in the Clifford Sale (1982). The close numbering of the known ingots suggests that a small hoard was discovered at one time. Most were offered in a 1969 Glendining Sale in London, and then were brought into the U.S. under special Treasury Department import licenses.<BR> This rectangular ingot has Hoard's circular imprint at the top of the face side, below is No. 2206 / 7.75 OZS / 999 THOUS / FINE. The back side has USM imprint, indicating he intended to sell directly to the United States Mint. The edges are plain. A few small contact marks are seen on each side.<BR><I>From The Alan Bingel Collection.</B></I>