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Justh & Hunter Gold Ingot. 60.64 ounces

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:1.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
Justh & Hunter Gold Ingot. 60.64 ounces
<B>Justh & Hunter Gold Ingot.</B></I> 60.64 ounces. 891 Fine. Number 4257. Emil (or Emanuel) Justh was a follower of Kossuth, the famous Hungarian freedom fighter. Justh heard the siren song of the Gold Rush in Verboca, Hungary. He boarded ship in Hamburg and left directly for San Francisco on May 18, 1850. After 159 days at sea, he arrived on November 15 of that same year. Justh was competent at many professions, and he began his career in San Francisco as a lithographer. In 1852, he and another immigrant named F.I. Goerlitz formed a general Ship and Customs House Broker business, a career Justh would return to years later. This partnership lasted less than a month, and apparently Justh then found employment at the new Assay Office as an assayer. In 1855, the story becomes even more interesting and relevant for numismatists.<BR> Justh's future business partner, Solomon Hillen Hunter, arrived in San Francisco aboard the steamship <I>Sonora</B></I> on March 3, 1855. Prior to boarding this ship on the Pacific side of Panama, Hunter was on board the <I>S.S. George Law.</B></I> Shortly thereafter, the <I>George Law</B></I> was renamed the <I>S.S. Central America.</B></I> So, Solomon Hunter was actually on board the very treasure ship two years before it sank in the Atlantic with more than 80 gold ingots stamped with his name.<BR> In 1855, Justh and Hunter formed a partnership in San Francisco to assay gold. The firm prospered and in the following year they opened a branch office in Marysville. In spite of its good reputation, the partnership only lasted a couple of years and was dissolved on July 10, 1858. Of course, by then millions of dollars in Justh and Hunter as well as numerous other California gold refiners lay at the bottom of the ocean, enough bullion to be a factor in the Panic of 1857.<BR> While the story should end here, Emil Justh's life continued until 1883 and it is interesting enough to continue. The firm of Theall & Co. was the successor to Justh and Hunter. Solomon Hunter returned to New York in 1858 and was last listed in the <I>Baltimore City Directory</B></I> in 1860. In 1861, Justh sold his refinery to Kellogg, Hewston & Co. as Justh intended to also go east. Good to his word, Justh went to New York City and began a career as a stockbroker. In 1863, he was one of the founders of the Public Stock Exchange. When that organization was amalgamated with the Stock Exchange in 1869, Justh had a seat on the Exchange.<BR> In 1871, Justh had a "complicated" divorce case. The 45-year old stockbroker had the following sordid account of his life included in the <I>New York Times</B></I> from October 21:<BR><BR> "On Wednesday last John T. Burleigh of No. 23 Dey Street, appeared before Judge Shandley, at Jefferson Market Police Court, and stated that several important letters, and a check for $30, were stolen from his safe by a private detective named A.A. Ackerman, at the instance of Emil Justh, a banker residing at No. 63 Exchange Place. Yesterday Sergt. McComb proceeded to the residence of Mr. Justh, to arrest him on the charge, but the latter refused to accompany him to the Station, and when force was used, presented a revolver at the officer's head. Patrolman Tully witnessed the occurrence, and before the weapon could be discharged wrenched it from his hand. He was then conveyed to the Station, where the letters were found in his possession. These letters, Justh alleges, afford proof of the seduction of his wife by Burleigh, and he desired to use them in proceedings for divorce now pending. Justh was discharged from custody, and Judge Shandley retained the letters in his possession for the present."<BR><BR> After that incident, it is a wonder that Justh was not nicknamed Emil "Lucky" Justh. Mrs. Justh, the woman allegedly seduced by Mr. Burleigh, later had a charge of "concealment of birth" brought against her by her ex-husband, a charge she was acquitted of in May of 1873. Justh later moved to Paris, where he died in December 1883.<BR> This particular Justh and Hunter gold ingot has four sides that are roughly equal in size with shorter ends. The top is impressed: NO. 4257/Justh & Hunter imprint/160.64 891 FINE/$2958.76. The top side is mostly even gold, but the other sides are deeply encrusted with purplish-russet rust from the iron ribs of the ship. A massively heavy ingot for its size, this is an important memento from this historic California assayer and refiner. A certificate of authenticity accompanies the lot.