2323

Assay from Kellogg & Hewston, 1854, Coloma Gold Deposit [194529]

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Mining Start Price:400.00 USD Estimated At:800.00 - 1,000.00 USD
Assay from Kellogg & Hewston, 1854, Coloma Gold Deposit  [194529]
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This assay is from "Kellogg & H" dated August 1854, for $1490.39. This is for a gold deposit received from Coloma, the discovery site for the California Gold Rush! An early assay from Kellogg in very rare condition. Crisp corners, hand written. 7.75 in. X 10 in. Please see photo for details.

BACKGROUND OF KELLOGG'S GOLD RUSH FIRMS
John G. Kellogg and G.F. Richter were cashier and assayer for Joseph R. Curtis, Philo H. Perry, and Samuel H. Ward, operators of the US Assay office at San Francisco. The latter three were partners with John Little Moffat when they were contracted by the US Assay Office in 1851 to melt down gold and strike gold coins in San Francisco to help meet the demand caused by the influx of gold from the Gold Rush.

The US Assay office ceased operations on Dec. 14, 1853 (with the SF Mints opening imminent). With gold bullion still coming into San Francisco and no place for it be coined into money, Kellogg and Richter were implored by California bankers to open their own assay office to melt and assay gold. They soon opened that operation on 106 Montgomery Street with Kellogg operating his assay lab in the basement.

The firm issued its private gold coins on February 9, 1854. These were $20 pieces which Kellogg claimed his firm could issue at the rate of $20,000 worth per day. The dies for the coins, which greatly resembled those of the United States issues, probably were cut by Kuner.

When the United States Branch Mint finally opened on April 3, 1854, its operations were erratic. Owing to constant shortages of alloy and parting acids, it ceased production several times. As a result, the coining business of Kellogg & Richter soon assumed very large proportions with about $6 million of the $20 pieces being issued.

Later that year, the partnership split up with Kellogg forming a new assay operation with John Hewston Jr. and later Augustus Humbert. (Kellogg & Humbert would go on to produce gold ingots recovered on the SS Central America shipwreck). The Kellogg & Richter private firm had only lasted about 4 months.

This receipt shows the new partnership between Kellogg and John Hewston Jr. Please see the Kellogg & Richter receipt also in this auction.


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Date:
Country (if not USA):
State: California
City: Coloma
Provenance:

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