Historic $10 Million California Gold Rush Bar Offered in $6.5 Million Digital Share Offering
Photo Credit: Kagin's, Inc.
TIBURON, Calif., March 19, 2026 (CALIFORNIA NEWS TODAY) — Numismatic services company, Kagin’s Digital, a Kagin’s Inc. company specializing in digital fractional offerings of rare and historic numismatic assets, has announced a $6.5 million digital fractional ownership offering tied to the 64-pound “Eureka Bar,” a gold ingot recovered from the SS Central America shipwreck.
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The 933.34-troy-ounce gold bar was recovered from the 1857 wreck of the SS Central America, often referred to as the “Ship of Gold.” The ingot was originally produced in 1857 by San Francisco assayer Augustus Humbert and private coiner John Glover Kellogg during the California Gold Rush.
“The 933.34 troy ounces gold bar, recovered from the famed 1857 shipwreck of the SS Central America, known as the ‘Ship of Gold,’ is widely regarded as the largest surviving gold artifact of the California Gold Rush and one of the most historically significant gold bars ever produced,” said Dr. Donald Kagin, President of Kagin’s Digital and author of Private and Pioneer Gold Coins of the United States 1786-1862.
The Eureka Bar was privately acquired in 2002 for $8 million as part of a larger transaction involving multiple ingots and gold coins recovered from the wreck site. It is currently insured for $10 million.
Under the announced structure, 1,500 fractional shares of the Eureka Bar are being offered to accredited investors pursuant to Rule 506(c) of Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933. The digital offering allows investors to participate in ownership of the bar through blockchain-based recordkeeping.
“While it remains one of the most valuable numismatic items in existence, this structure allows individuals to participate in ownership of an incredibly important California Gold Rush artifact and iconic treasure for an average share price of $4,333,” Kagin said.
Adam Crum, Managing Partner of National Treasures, commented on the artifact’s market history.
“Over the course of my career, I have handled and sold more than $100 million in SS Central America treasure, including the majority of all the ingots recovered. The Eureka Bar stands alone as the largest California Gold Rush artifact and, in my view, the most important surviving gold bar in the world,” said Crum.
The SS Central America treasure was initially salvaged between 1988 and 1990 by the Columbus-America Discovery Group led by Tommy Thompson, with additional recovery conducted in 2014 by Odyssey Marine Exploration.
Each fractional share in the Eureka Bar will be recorded using blockchain-based technology to provide a digital record of ownership.
For more information, visit https://kagins.digital/.
Source: Kagin’s, Inc.
