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CDV of Comstock Ingot Made by E. Ruhling & Co. Assayers during Franco-Prussian War [178326]

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Mining Start Price:500.00 USD Estimated At:1,000.00 - 2,000.00 USD
CDV of Comstock Ingot Made by E. Ruhling & Co. Assayers during Franco-Prussian War [178326]
SOLD
1,300.00USDto d**********r+ buyer's premium (325.00)
This item SOLD at 2024 Apr 14 @ 11:25UTC-7 : PDT/MST
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Unique. The ingot pictured is # 9680 weighing 1630.7 Troy oz. with silver at 962 fine and gold at 32.5 fine worth a total of $3123.76. The ingot was part of an exhibit on September 20, 1870, given out as a business card at a symposium held in Werth, Austria.
On the back of the card is printed in German (translated):
"Silver Bullion in Werth (Austria) at 4320 Thalern From Germans and Americans in the state of Nevada in North America for the wounded in the current war and the relatives of the fallen Sent to the German Central Committee."
On the ingot is punched in German and an English translation: "Germany, battling for unity and civilization, commands the sympathy of Republican America. We may not draw the sword, but would help to staunch your wounds." Ed Ruhling was a native of Hamburg, Germany and schooled in assaying at the University of Freiburg. His sympathies in the Franco-German War (July 1870-May 1871) were clearly aligned with Germany. Ruhling was an assayer and banker in San Francisco, CA & Virginia City, Gold Hill and Hamilton, Nevada. He began to establish himself in San Francisco around 1858. By 1861, Ruhling was working and residing in Nevada. His business partner in 1862 was H.V.S. McCullough in the firm of Ed Ruhling & Co Bankers and Assayers in Virginia, Nevada Territory. In 1869, Ruhling operated an assay office at the new silver mining camp of Hamilton in eastern Nevada. Ruhling's business was bought out by McCullough in March, 1871. The Ruhling Assay Office was given the order for making the last (gold) spike for the transcontinental railroad- the original is located at Stanford University. Virginia City Nevada 1870