San Francisco - Strip Cast / Sheared Ingots





Mint Of The United States At San Francisco strip cast / sheared ingots tell us more of a story about themselves than any other oval hallmark series thanks to dates on at least 6 of the almost 50 examples in the registry. The No. 1 ingot is obverse stamped 1952; No. 477 is reverse dated 1954; and No. 1322, No. 1693, No. 1700 and No. 1738 are reverse dated 1955. I have copies of original paperwork showing silver scrap deposit, process payment and ingot delivery receipt for No. 1767 dated April 29, 1955, which confirms that these stampings are in fact dates and not some other mark.

Every example I've examined in hand or studied in photograph, has one or more sides evident of having been cut with a metal plate cutting sheer. Additional support for this comes with the thru cut reverse Type III hallmark that can be found on at least 4 of the almost 50 examples in the registry.

The first photograph shows one of the largest examples of Mint Of The United States At San Francisco strip cast / sheared ingots, and the second lowest serial number as well as a rare Type III Oval Hallmark obverse stamping. The No. 12 Mint Of The United States At San Francisco strip cast / sheared ingot is shown with a more typical size strip cast / sheared ingot and a Type II Oval Hallmark example for size reference. The next photograph shows a full Type III reverse hallmark that eluded the plate cutting sheer; most of these Type III Oval Hallmark reverse stampings fell victim to a cut like the reverse of No. 1767 below.

The following photographs show two more typical examples, one with reverse date and the other with a cut thru Type III Oval Hallmark. I have not been able to identify the secondary marking on the reverse of the first example.

Mentioned above, the page in the photograph below is part of the paperwork I received from Paul Franklin, part of his late father, Gerow Paul Franklin's collection. The Mint Of The United States At San Francisco strip cast / sheared ingot was actually already in my collection when I received the paperwork. 

SILVER INGOTS