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Harris & Marchand Assay Office Gold Memorandum--SS Central America & Comstock Ties [183022]

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Mining Start Price:50.00 USD Estimated At:5,000.00 - 10,000.00 USD
Harris & Marchand Assay Office Gold Memorandum--SS Central America & Comstock Ties [183022]
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EXTRA RARE assay receipt from the Marysville Assay Office of Harris, Marchand & Company, dated August 11. 1857 (just ONE month before gold bars from this firm would sink with the SS Central America). It is issued to a Mr. Seley and the serial number of the transaction is #7167. This is the only known document of this type to exist. It is framed and matted and measures 14"x 15".

The Harris Marchand Company had locations in Marysville, Sacramento and San Francisco, in an attempt to cover as many mining locations as possible.

Gold ingots from this firm were recovered from the SS Central America shipwreck and sold by Stacks Bowers.

Harvey Harris was born in Denmark in 1814. In the late 1840s, he was working for the US Mint at New Orleans. He came to California in 1852 with his wife and children and started working for the assay firm of Kellogg & Humbert. He also worked for the US Branch Mint in San Francisco in 1854. In 1855, he opened his own assay office in Sacramento with partner Desiree Marchand (from Paris). A year later, they opened an office in Marysville. Both locations were perfect to help process the gold coming out of the Mother Lode, especially the rich Sierra and Butte County mines. Harris established a presence in Nevada at the start of the Comstock Lode (1859). They opened an office in Carson City, then Gold Hill and Silver City. He eventually focused his interests in the Gold Hill office. He died in 1894 and was buried in Carson City. [ Marysville California