Lot 149
Gold Rush Card Signed by James W. Marshall, Discoverer of Gold in California. Signature ("Ja's, W, Marshall") on a 2¾ x 5 ¼" card stating that this is the autograph of the discoverer of gold in California, Jan. 19, 1848. Card has a small vignette of Old Sutter Mill, in Coloma, California, where Marshall discovered gold. The card is housed in an elaborate tripartite case, holding the card, a tiny nugget of gold, four tiny gold coins, an image of Marshall, and some brochures. Fine condition.
When news of the discovery of gold spread, some 300,000 men, women, and children from the United States and abroad flocked to California, hoping to make their fortune. At the time, California was not a state but was part of Alta California in Mexico. With the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (Feb. 2, 1848), ending the Mexican-American War, Alta California was ceded to the United States. California was admitted to the United States as a free state in 1850 as part of the Compromise of 1850. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that some 12 million ounces of gold were removed just during the first five years of the Gold Rush--only the beginning of the billions of dollars in today's values which would be removed by the mid 1880s, leading to the building of the San Francisco Mint in 1854, changing San Francisco to a boom town, and stimulating economies around the world. Estimate Value $1,000 - UP
The Michael Hecht Autograph Collection.
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| Realized $2,520 |
