6183

U.S. Assay Office and U.S. Mint Ingots Precious Meta U.S. Assay Office and U.S. Mint Ingots

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:1.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
U.S. Assay Office and U.S. Mint Ingots Precious Meta U.S. Assay Office and U.S. Mint Ingots
<B>U.S. Assay Office and U.S. Mint Ingots</B></I><BR><BR> Precious Metal ingots have been made at the U.S. Branch Mint and Assay Offices since their inception. The only definitively pre-1900 Mint or Assay Office ingots that exist in the knowledge of the author (Fred Holabird) are from the Denver Branch Mint, held in an institutional collection dated 1865. Most of the ingots seen today at coin shows are a product of twentieth century collecting. Most are silver and post-WWII. A few gold ingots from these entities have surfaced, rendering speculation that they may have been kept in Europe while the Gold Reserve Act of 1933 rendered gold illegal for Americans to own until 1975, four years after President Nixon changed the complex system under which gold backed currency and opened the gold market to free trade.<BR><B><BR><BR>Ingot Diagnostics and Comments</B></I><BR><BR>Each Mint had its own punches made with their own vignettes. Some placed dates on the ingots, which has started an entirely new area of collecting for numismatists. San Francisco Mint ingots appear the most common at this time. There are several different forms of the vignettes, a shorter eagle looking left in an oval, and a more evenly statured eagle in a circle. It has been assumed that the oval eagle pattern is older, and while this may be so, no proof has been found in a thorough literature search. The circular patterns with dates are all post-1945.<BR> Assay Office ingots are significantly rarer than their Mint counterparts. Only two different U.S. Assay Office ingots have been seen by the author over the past 35 years, New York and San Francisco. New York Assay Office gold ingots are known dated from 1933 onward.<BR> At least two of the U.S. Mints have sold parts or all of their old bullion room equipment inventories over the years. Philadelphia sold off some equipment, including some of their antique Trommner bullion scales. San Francisco sold off bullion punches and tools, among other things. To date, at least two fake U.S. Assay Office San Francisco "silver" ingots have surfaced, indicating this bullion punch may have found its way into the wrong hands. Both are lead, plated by silver, and have the identical USAO-SF vignette bullion punch found on authentic bars.<BR><BR><B>1946 (?) Philadelphia Mint Silver Ingot.</B></I> 5.29 ounces. 1946 / FINE / 999 / Circular imprint / OZS 5.29. The imprint on the top side is affected by a bubble in the casting process. On the back side is another, clearer imprint that is followed by No 92. The short, top edge has the number 10. Dark, charcoal-gray patina on the top side with lighter color on the back side. New York Assay Office The New York Assay Office served a vital function to the Treasury Department. The New York Assay Office was opened October 10, 1854, the same year as the San Francisco Mint. The original purpose of the office was to receive California gold and foreign bullion and coin to relieve the pressure of the huge shipments of California gold coming into the U.S. Mint system, and to prepare bullion ready for coinage at Philadelphia and/or other branch mints. This office, like the San Francisco Mint and others, opened later than expected. In the Director of the Mint's report of 1854, James Snowden noted: "The building which is designed for the assay office at New York will be erected and completed next April." The first year of operation was a success. Deposits of precious metals amounted to more than nine million dollars "of which amount $76,307 was in silver, principally parted from California gold. The amount of fine bars prepared, assayed, and stamped at that office during that period was $2,888,039...", noted Snowden in his 1855 Report. By 1857, the New York Assay Office had received more than $17 million in metals deposits and "the number of gold bars prepared and stamped at this office was 4,727" representing a total value of more than $19 million. Set up under the supervision of the Custom House during the Civil War, the assay office continued to receive western and foreign bullion. The 1865 New York City Directory is a source for much information on the office. "US Assay Office, Wall, cor Nassau. George F. Dunning, Supt., J. A. Stewart, Treas., John Torrey Assayer, Andrew Mason melter and refiner, Gold and Silver Bullion in amounts not less than $100, received on deposit and returns made in coins or stamped bars, at the option of the owner. Visitors are admitted to witness the operation of the office on Wednesday between 10 and 12am." The New York Assay Office remained open and functioning until 1982.<BR><BR><B>1946 Philadelphia Mint Silver Ingot.</B></I> 5.29 ounces. 1946 / FINE / 999 / circular imprint / OZS 5.29. The imprint was affected by an imperfection in the casting process, and a second imprint was impressed on the top of the back side, followed by No 92. The top, short edge has the number 10. Deep, charcoal gray toning is seen on the top side with lighter patina on the back side.<BR><I>From The Alan Bingel Collection of Gold & Silver Ingots, Part Three.</B></I>