SS Central America Shipwreck Artifacts Auction, Part I (December 2022)

A white ironstone rectangular bowl, marked // Ironstone China / Barrow & Co. // on the bottom (1853- 1856). Called a "Janus" bowl beca...

Australian crystalline gold on quartz. 15.7 grams total weight. Date: Country (if not USA): Australia State: City: Provenance:

The Gold-Seeker's Manual; Being a Practical and Instructive Guide to All Persons Emigrating to the Newly Discovered Gold Regions of California b...

Australian gold nugget. 14.3 grams weight. Date: Country (if not USA): Australia State: City: Provenance:

Letter dated September 25, 1850, Nevada City. Nevada crossed out and Sacramento written in. Most likely letter was taken to Sacramento City as that wa

Lot of 3 different stocks (plus some photocopied research materials). 1) Flag of Our Union & Twin Consolidated Gold & Silver Mining Company....

Lot of 3 different for William T. Coleman & Co.'s California Line at their 161 Pearl St. location. All have a fairy-tale or play theme. All ...

The Pioneer; or California Monthly Magazine, edited by F.C. Ewer. Vol. I. January to June, 1854. Published by the W.H. Brooks & Company. Contain...

California and Its Resources: A Work for the Merchant, the Capitalist, and the Emigrant by Ernest Seyd. Published by Trubner and Co. in 1858. First ed

The order of issuance of the SSCA passenger receipts began to become clear after we were able to interpret the very old handwriting that suffered 150

Gold pen nib recovered from the port-side debris field, Coin Pile #10, at the S.S. Central America shipwreck in 2014. Labeled // Smith & Todd / ...

Brass luggage tag recovered from the S.S. Central America shipwreck, approx 2 x 1-5/8 inches, embossed // N.Y. TO SAN Fo / 5291 / VIA PANAMA //. The n

10 slabbed Perth Mint gold nuggets. About 14 grams of gold. Date: Country (if not USA): Australia State: City: Provenance:

Australian crystalline gold nugget. 13.3 grams. Date: Country (if not USA): Australia State: City: Provenance:

The Pioneer or California Monthly Magazine, edited by F.C. Ewer. Vol. III January to June 1855. Published by Lecount and Strong, 1855. Contains articl

Clear glass candle holder (?) recovered from the S.S. Central America shipwreck in 2014. The base is 3.25 inches in diameter, 1-5/8 inches tall. Seven

White ceramic pitcher recovered from the S.S. Central America shipwreck. It is 10 inches tall and 6 inches in diameter at the widest. The mouth is 3 i

Heavy, possibly leaded, cut-glass decanter recovered from the S.S. Central America shipwreck. It is 9 inches tall and 4.25 inches in diameter at the b

Douche kit and locking chastity belt. Unusual silver (plated on brass?), two strip, inner connecting, with a circular, point depression locking device

This rolled and unused rubber life jacket was found in 2014 in one of the debris fields of the S.S. Central America shipwreck. It was a unique find in

Silver-plated, single ornate spur with strap, no rowell, recovered from the debris field of the S.S. Central America shipwreck. It is 5" long, ...

Spectacular California Gold Rush-era document. $500 Bond of the State of California for War Indebtedness incurred in "Expeditions against the I...

Passenger receipt recovered from the S.S. Central America shipwreck for John V. Dobbin, brother of James C. Dobbin, Secretary of the Navy, 1853-1857.

Brass handle with wooden knob recovered in 1991 from the stern debris field of the S.S. Central America shipwreck where dining salon goods were found.

Australian gold in quartz. Total weight 25.6g, gold by weight 15.3g. Date: Country (if not USA): Australia State: City: Provenance:

4 Australian gold nuggets, 10.86 grams of gold. Date: Country (if not USA): Australia State: City: Provenance:

Australian gold on quartz. 85.33 grams total weight, 15.7 grams gold. Date: Country (if not USA): Australia State: City: Provenance:

Crystalline and leaf gold in quartz. .42 troy oz. About 50% weight by gold. Date: Country (if not USA): State: City: Provenance:

San Francisco straight line postmark with magenta manuscript date. Matching 40 rate. Written in two parts. First is North Bend March 3 at Sea and seco

A partial knife, fork, and spoon recovered from one of the S.S. Central America shipwreck debris piles. Lot also includes a billhead for a cutlery sto

First Cabin large brass numeral, 8 or 18, recovered in 2014 from the S.S. Central America shipwreck. 6" tall, 4.25" x 1/8" thick. Gre...

Australian crystalline gold on quartz 11.76g total weight. Boot shaped gold nugget 2.8g. Date: Country (if not USA): Australia State: City: Pr

Nevada Ore Specimen Collection, Most with Old Labels An old ore specimen collection from a house in Jack’s Valley, Nevada. Most with orig

San Francisco Vigilance Committee of '56 with Some Interesting Sketches of Events Succeeding 1846. Edited by Frank Meriweather Smith. Published ...

A Tour of Duty in California; Including a Description of the Gold Region: and an Account of the Voyage Around Cape Horn; with Notices of Lower Califor

The Metallic Wealth of the United States, Described and Compared with That of Other Countries, by J.D. Whitney. Published by Lippincott, Grambo &...

Second Cabin passenger receipt recovered from the S.S. Central America shipwreck and issued for Jacob B. Clark, reportedly a veteran of the Mexican Wa

Second Cabin passenger receipt recovered from the S.S. Central America shipwreck for William A. Adams, 27, of Maryland, and his dog. There is no recor

Stoneware jar, without lid, recovered from the S.S. Central America shipwreck. It is 7.75 inches tall, 5-5/8 inches in diameter at the base, and 5-3/4

Slender glass perfume bottle recovered from the S.S. Central America shipwreck. It is 8.5 inches tall, and the base is 1-7/8 x 1 inches. Missing its s

1.45 troy oz. crystalline and gold leaf in quartz. About 35% gold by weight. Date: Country (if not USA): State: City: Provenance:

California Gold Rush genuine gold nugget. 12.3 grams. Certified genuine by American Appraisal Institute; signed certificate is adhered to reverse of f

Choice ingot mould from John Taylor & Co., San Francisco. This is an old multi-ingot mould that allowed for small pours of gold ingots of rough...

This is the only clipper card for this firm in the group we received. Platt & Newton (Successors to Wm. T. Coleman & Co.), 117 Front Street....

Steerage passenger receipt for William Curless on pre-printed neutral US mail Steamship/ Pacific Mail steamship form. Datelined San Francisco. Curless

Small, possibly leaded, cut-glass condiment cruet bottle recovered from the S.S. Central America shipwreck. It is 5-3/8 inches tall, 1.5 inches at the

Small, pressed glass perfume bottle recovered from the S.S. Central America shipwreck. 2.5 inches tall and 1-3/8-inch-square at the base, and 1-3/4 in

Long undershirt recovered from Dement trunk found at the S.S. Central America shipwreck. Long underwear shirt, probably wool, with 3 buttonholes, 3 bu

Silk scarf recovered from the Dement trunk found at the S.S. Central America shipwreck. Patterned silk scarf, about 22 x 26" beige with oval wh...

Australian gold on black quartz. Total weight 22.0 grams. Date: Country (if not USA): Australia State: City: Provenance:

Australian crystalline gold nugget, 8.71 grams. Date: Country (if not USA): Australia State: City: Provenance:

Lot of 3. 1) Extremely rare billhead for A. Kuner, Seal Engraver & Die Sinker, No. 611 Washington Street, 3rd Floor. Dateline San Francisco, Dec...

Lot of 2. Cover with corner ad for Page & Bacon Bankers St. Louis plus letter. Page, Bacon & Co. was composed of Daniel Page and Henry D. Ba...

California and New Mexico- Message from the President of the United States to the 31st Congress, 1850. Ex. Doc. No. 17. First edition. Covers the Mexi

First Cabin receipt recovered from the S.S. Central America shipwreck for Dr. Kitteridge from San Francisco to New York, August 20, 1857. First Cabin

Passenger receipt recovered from the S.S. Central America shipwreck for Henry H. Childs of New York, First Cabin Ticket #31 from San Francisco to New

Twelve-sided white ironstone cup or mug or bowl recovered in 1991 from the cabin area of the S.S. Central America shipwreck. It is 3.6 inches wide, 3.

Eight-page, single sheet, quarto-folded newspaper entitled, // The Sunday Varieties, A Chronicle of Life in California, Vol. 3 No. 14, Sunday, August

Long undershirt recovered from Dement trunk found at the S.S. Central America shipwreck. Long undershirt, probably wool, with 3 buttonholes, 3 buttons

Fine dress overcoat recovered from the trunk of John Dement recovered from the S.S. Central America Shipwreck. Overcoat has a velveteen collar and bru

Large, 29 x 29" scarf or ascot, thought to be men's according to the Ohio State University conservators. Dark border (3/4" wide), poss...

Crystalline and gold wire attached to quartz. Total weight 95.63g, gold weight about 13.4g. Date: Country (if not USA): State: City: Provenan

Datelined Sonora April 9th, 1854 Three bags of gold dust valued at $5400 (300 oz.) for assay at the U.S. Mint which just opened. Very early! Earliest

"Bond of the State of California for War Indebtedness in Conformity with An Act Authorizing the Treasurer of State to Issue Bonds for the payme...

This is a collection of letters from Chauncey Clark looking for gold in the Yukon Territory to his mother, brother, and sister in Rochester, New York.

Colton's Traveler and Tourist's Route Book through the United States and the Canadas: Containing the Routes and Distances on the Great Lines...

Pale green, likely hand-blown, thin-walled, cylindrical flask with a flared top recovered from the S.S. Central America shipwreck. It is 8-3/4 inches

A number of dominoes were recovered from the debris field of the S.S. Central America shipwreck in 2014. Upon initial inspection, we thought they were

A gold decorative item resembling a strawberry (?) recovered by a sediment trap of a dredge used at the S.S. Central America shipwreck in 2014. It wei

California Gold Rush genuine gold nugget. 9.8 grams. Certified natural and authentic by American Appraisal Institute. Signed appraisal certificate aff

Dendritic Silver Specimen 40mm x 25mm. 9.6 grams. Beautiful branching dendritic formation with fern like, leaf-shaped crystals. Sometimes referred

Extra rare! Dateline Sonora, Cal. March 23rd, 1863. Check No. 7, drawn on Donohoe Ralston & Co. bank of San Francisco. Check issued to DM Winfie...

Very rare to find a Gold Rush era bond for a mining camp other than SF or Sacramento. City of Sonora Bond, $100. No. 39, issued May 4th, 1853, in acco

Lot of 2. These are the only two Coleman California Line clipper cards in this group for his location at 117 Front Street in New York. According to NY

Sacramento, CA Nov. 5th, 1867 Engraved check (State Controller's Warrant), for $250, filled out in ink, signed by Controller Geo. Oulton. 5x10&q...

Nice well defined gold leaf specimen on black quartz. Total weight 7.7g, gold weight 6.1g. Date: Country (if not USA): Australia State: City:

Gold leaf in white quartz. 1.04 troy oz. About 20% weight by gold. Date: Country (if not USA): State: City: Provenance:

This c1850's cover is for a Wells Fargo Express Steamboat. Nevada regular Wells Fargo stamp cancels 3c Pink stamp. Stamped PAID on upper right.

Dateline San Francisco, Sept. 30th, 1854. Promise to pay Drexel, Sather & Church $4,000. Signed by H. Meiggs. Two vignettes: bank building (bott...

Ship's timber from the S.S. Central America shipwreck, cut by a modern underwater chain saw. It is 7" x 5.5" x 3" thick. Worm-eat...

Small deadeye recovered from the S.S. Central America shipwreck. It is d 3.5" diameter, 2.5" thick. Center portion shows severe damage fro...

Double spouted, white ceramic pitcher recovered from the S.S. Central America with one spout broken off. It is 11 inches tall, 5.25 inches in diameter

There are seven individual round ball (RB) lead rounds found aboard the S.S. Central America shipwreck, all are oversized .38 caliber, indicating a mu

Men's vest recovered from the Easton trunk found at the S.S. Central America shipwreck. Men's vest with 2 different diamond pattern, 2 lower...

Crystalline gold and leaf in quartz, .46 troy oz. About 70% weight by gold. Date: Country (if not USA): State: City: Provenance:

This is a very long three page legal sized letter written by A. Eastman. It was written at Reding Springs. Redding is 150 miles north of Sacrame

Rare Treasury of the United States Second of Transfer for $10,000 to the Ast. Treasurer US at San Francisco. Dateline Washington, October 1st, 1858. S

"Emma Frances Lode, Silver Mountain District, Mono County, California" (printed at left). Inc. December 1862. No. 226, issued for 5 shares...

Lot of 5. Two are original period illustrations (from books) and the rest are modern copies. John Sutter started constructing Sutter's Fort in 1...

Report of Hon. T. Butler King of California printed by Gideon & Co. in 1850. This report relayed the first official information about the gold r...

Life on the Plains and Among the Diggings; Being Scenes and Adventures of an Overland Journey to California: with Particular Incidents of the Route, M

Lot of 2 different. 1) Adams & Co. Express Office, Boston, Nov. 3, 1852. No. 162, issued to Edward Smith for $1,514, payable "in bars or go...

Two small chunks of coal recovered from the S.S. Central America shipwreck. The larger is 3 x 2.75 x 1.5 inches, about 1/4 lb. The other is 3.5 x 2 x

Men's undershirt recovered from the Dement trunk found at the S.S. Central America shipwreck. Thick, possibly wool, undershirt, additional cloth...

One pair of women's leather gloves recovered from the Easton trunk found at the S.S. Central America shipwreck. Drawstring closure, overall leng...

California Gold Rush genuine gold nugget. 6.7 grams. Certified natural and authentic by American Appraisal Institute. Signed appraisal certificate aff

Second Cabin transfer ticket recovered from the S.S. Central America shipwreck for passage from Havana to Aspinwall on the trip down from New York, im

Paperback book recovered from the Dement trunk at the S.S. Central America shipwreck: Lady Lee's Widowhood paperback book by Captain Edward Haml...

Component of a gold earring recovered from the S.S. Central America shipwreck in 2014 from an unspecified coin pile in the port-side debris field. It

Men's Night Shirt Socks recovered from the Dement trunk found at the S.S. Central America shipwreck. Light patterned cotton with 1" cloth c...