New York Assay Office Intro



The first building on the right in the picture above, No. 30 Wall Street was constructed in 1823 as the Branch Bank of the United States. By the Act of March 3, 1853, the United States Assay Office New York was formed and opened at No 30 Wall Street in 1854. 

According to Samuel Armstrong Nelson in 1900 in his The A B C of Wall Street, "The building is employed in assaying, parting and refining crude bullion, coin, jewelry, old bars and the precious metals in such other forms as they may be presented. All metal is turned out in the form of bars of various weight, stamped by the Government with letters and figures which certify to the weight and quality of the metal. Most of the work is done for private persons...." So even in 1900 a United States Assay Office New York government silver ingot was rare.

While researching the 1892 United States Assay Office New York silver ingot, I came across the photo above for sale and could not pass it up. From The Illustrated American, April 22, 1893, a view of Wall Street and The United States Assay Office New York at No. 30 Wall Street. I find it amazing that the 1892 United States Assay Office New York silver ingot from the United States Government Silver Ingot Collection of Ken Conaway remains from precisely the time in history captured in the photo above. 

See other pages under the New York drop-down for a look at United States Assay Office New York silver ingots in more detail.

SILVER INGOTS