This is a really interesting piece on this upcoming sale at Sotheby's:

GLORIES FROM THE CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH

Treasure recovered from the wreck of the S.S. Central America

It was the defining moment of nineteenth century America. The discovery of Gold in California in 1848 fired the imaginations and ambitions of countless entrepreneurs and dreamers. It spurred the westward expansion and consolidated the position of the United States as one of the great countries in the world.

The riches, in the form of dust panned from the swirling waters of rivers, and nuggets wrested from the northern California earth, found their way from San Francisco to the bustling Eastern United States, and fueled the burgeoning economy.

In September 1857, the SS Central America set sail from Panama to New York laden with three tons of California gold. Despite having made this run some 43 times before without event, the SS Central America’s luck ran out. Overtaken by a hurricane, she broke apart and sank, taking the treasure and more than 400 souls with her. The tragedy plunged a nation into mourning- but soon she was forgotten. The remarkable discovery and salvage of the SS Central America some 130 years later sparked front page stories around the world, best selling books and opened an important new chapter of knowledge on that romantic era.

Sotheby’s will be selling a spectacular array of gold bars, ingots, nuggets and dust being carried by the "forty niners", privately struck gold coins produced by long-gone local assayers, and coins struck by the young San Francisco Mint - looking as fresh as the day they were made.

Treasure from the SS Central America Sotheby's New York Auction: 8 & 9 December 1999 Inquiries: Paul Song or Stephen Lloyd at 212-606-7856. http://www.sothebys.com