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Raffle Ticket for an Ingot of Gold, San Francisco, 1853 [179364]

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:300.00 USD Estimated At:600.00 - 1,200.00 USD
Raffle Ticket for an Ingot of Gold, San Francisco, 1853  [179364]
SOLD
275.00USD+ (68.75) buyer's premium + applicable fees & taxes.
This item SOLD at 2024 Jun 09 @ 12:18UTC-7 : PDT/MST
UNCLAIMED MERCHANDISE: In the event that a successful bidder has paid in full for their merchandise but fails to settle outstanding shipping invoices or make arrangements for merchandise pickup within 60 days, HWAC reserves the right to declare the merchandise forfeited. This forfeiture will result in the merchandise becoming the property of HWAC and the successful bidder shall have no claim to or rights over the forfeited merchandise.
Original raffle ticket 2" x 3 1/4", No. 4685, "Tickets $1, Mammoth Ingot of Gold Raffle to be decided in the Chinese Sales room on July 5, 1853. 2,400 prizes, value $65,000"
This raffle was held by Tobin & Duncan of San Francisco at Long's Wharf, where they regularly advertised their Chinese Sales Room. The firm had a significant success, having sold more than 64,000 tickets for the raffle, giving away 2,237 prizes. The sale of tickets went so well that the company continued to sell them until July 11, six days after the original announced drawing date. The winning ticket was drawn July 13th, and the Mammoth gold ingot, of which no description was ever published, went to ticket number 23633. A list of all the winners was posted in the Alta California newspaper. There were reports of other ticket numbers winning the ingot, but the number used here was from the full winners list. This piece is a choice reminder of just how popular the California Gold Rush gold bars were to the average person. No wonder the 560-plus gold bars found on the SS Central America remain popular today!