1855 Kellogg Gold $50 Commemorative Restrike SS Central America PCGS Gem Proof

A dramatic, museum‑quality relic that literally carries the sea’s story: this 1855 Kellogg $50 commemorative restrike is a modern (2001) proof struck from refined gold salvaged from the SS Central America wreck, certified PCGS Gem Proof. It is part of a limited private commemorative program that used recovered Kellogg & Humbert assay ingots as the source metal, making each piece both a numismatic and archaeological keepsake.

The story behind the metal The SS Central America—the famed 1857 “Ship of Gold” lost in a hurricane—carried tons of California Gold Rush bullion and coinage. When portions of the wreck were recovered decades later, many Kellogg & Humbert assay bars were brought to the surface. A private commemorative program in 2001 melted portions of those authentic Kellogg & Humbert ingots to produce modern restrike planchets; the resulting commemoratives therefore contain gold that was actually assayed and aboard the Central America. That direct, physical connection is the single most compelling fact about these pieces: they aren’t merely replicas — they are struck from recovered Gold Rush‑era metal.

Production, dates & population

• Authorized limit: the restrike program was limited by the available recovered ingots; publicity for the project stated a maximum authorization of 5,000 restrikes. 
• Actual production run (2001): the strikes were produced across a series of dated strikes in late August–September 2001; individual examples were counterstamped with the exact strike date on the reverse (the pieces were sold with California Historical Society packaging and COA).
• Population (aggregate): contemporary reports and auction/periodical records list the run as “nearly 5,000” pieces and break out the counts by finish — roughly 4,461 uncirculated pieces and about 492 proof pieces, for a combined total in the neighborhood of 4,953 restrikes (numbers vary slightly by catalogue and day‑by‑day counters). In other words: a large but strictly limited run, well under 5,000 actual examples delivered to the market.

Technical & presentation notes

• Gold content: the commemoratives were marketed as roughly 2.5 troy ounces of Gold Rush‑era gold per piece (some lot descriptions cite planchet weights such as ~1,309 grains at ~.887 fine on specific dated strikes); your 2.41 oz example is consistent with those modern restrike planchet weights (minor variation can occur between individual pieces and how weight is reported—gross vs. net, troy vs. avoirdupois, or rounding in marketing literature).
• Dies & appearance: transfer dies were prepared from the original 1855 Kellogg patterns; many examples were issued as both Proof (deep mirrored fields, cameo devices) and Uncirculated finishes and were sold in the distinctive copper‑and‑glass presentation frame with COA.
• Certification: this example’s PCGS Gem Proof designation matches the way many of the restrikes were presented and certified for the collector market.

Why this piece matters to collectors

• Tangible provenance: beyond design and finish, the metal itself carries provenance back to the 1857 wreck—every surface of the gold touched by California’s Gold Rush and the Central America story.
• Limited, documented run: the restrikes were produced in a controlled program with dated strikes and accompanying COAs and packaging; while not original 1855 circulation strikes, they are a scarce, well‑documented modern issue rooted in 19th‑century history.
• Display & conversation value: heavy, solid‑gold, date‑stamped and framed with a direct shipwreck provenance—this coin is a centerpiece for any cabinet focused on shipwrecks, Gold Rush history, or unusual commemoratives.