Louis & Mac Kay 4.9 oz Silver Ingot:
4.9 ounces, 999 fine silver, No. 64. Measures 34 mm wide, 56 mm tall, and 6 mm deep. Light gray patina. Housed in a green and clear custom plastic holder. (Holder seems to be similar to an older capital plastics holder)
This ingot exudes mystery and excitement with its font type reminiscent of the 19th century. Resonating with the characteristics of a bygone era, it shares striking similarities with the only other known example, which was sold at a Heritage auction back in 2007. What sets this piece apart is its condition, exhibiting fewer hits to the reverse of the bar compared to its counterpart.
Research Difficulty: Resembles mid to late-nineteenth century ingots, making research challenging. Associated with an eastern refiner in the late 1860s.
Historical Context: Lack of records makes researching assayers in remote mining regions difficult. Assayers often remained anonymous, resulting in scant historical records.
Business System: Miners took ores to local or regional assayers, then to custom mills and regional assayers or branch mints. Many mining companies were financed from the East Coast or foreign interests.
Silver Discoveries: Post-1860, silver deposits found worldwide, funded by Americans and Europeans. Examples include Hamilton, Nevada; Park City, Utah; Leadville, Colorado; Mexico; and South America.
New York Connection: Clues suggest a New York City connection for Louis & MacKay. Alexander Mackay listed as a refiner in Trow's New York City Directory of 1869-1870. F. D. Louis listed as a watchmaker.
Ingots Characteristics: "999 Fine" suggests a refiner. Punch patterns exhibit signs of extreme crudity, potentially indicating initial bars made by Louis & MacKay.
Conclusion: Difficulty in determining exact source of ingot. Characteristics suggest it may be from a remote American mining camp or foreign location. May be an experimental ingot made for a partnership involving Alexander MacKay, fitting the Hamilton, Nevada rush. Difficulty in dating the pour of metal into the ingot mold hinders authenticity assessment.