Jewelry items recovered from the sinking of the S.S. Central America will be auctioned March 4th-5th

RENO, Nev. - Feb. 15, 2023 - PRLog -- The second and final auction of never-before-offered, historic California Gold Rush jewelry and other artifacts recovered from the 1857 sinking of the fabled "Ship of Gold," the S.S. Central America, will be held on March 4 and 5, 2023. It will be conducted in Reno, Nevada and online by Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC.

"This is the last opportunity for collectors to acquire previously unoffered, historic artifacts from what Life magazine proclaimed, 'America's greatest treasure.' The 420 lots in the auction represent an incredible time capsule of the California Gold Rush era," said Fred Holabird, president of Holabird Western Americana Collections.

One of the important items is a large gold quartz engraved brooch that prominent San Francisco businessman Sam Brannan -- California's first millionaire -- was sending to his son, Sam Brannen Jr., in Geneva, Switzerland, as a gift to the son's teacher. Biographer Milton Balch described Brannan (1819 - 1889) as "a gambler, and a banker, merchant and hotel owner, importer and exporter, gold digger and real estate speculator."

There are also vintage clothing including an early Brooks Brothers shirt; ship's objects such as cabin and dining plates, bowls, and bottles; a recovered porthole; the only still-intact Gold Rush treasure shipment box; and an intriguing 1850s photograph of an unknown young woman now nicknamed "Mona Lisa of the Deep" who is wearing a choker and brooch of the era.

Among the 45 other recovered jewelry pieces in the auction is a REGARD ring, named for the first letter of each of the six gemstones it contains: ruby (missing from the ring), emerald, garnet, amethyst, ruby, and diamond. This style of ring became popular in the early 1800s when it was introduced in France.

Other exquisite, recovered California Gold Rush jewelry in the auction includes gold nugget stickpins, gold nugget pinback brooches, and gold cuff links.

Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC has prepared an extensive catalog with many illustrations of the S.S. Central America recovery operations in 3-D. Copies of the March 2023 auction catalog are available for $100 each with the price refundable with any purchase from the auction.

All items in the auction are being offered unreserved. For additional information, visit Holabird Western Americana Collections of Reno, Nevada at www.HolabirdAmericana.com, call 775-851-1859, or email info@holabirdamericana.com. Visit www.HolabirdAmericana.com