Why didnt large private assayer ingots survive?
Considering that private assayer coins survived in great quantity and are highly prized by collectors, it is amazing that very few specimens, all quite small, of the assayer ingots are still in existence. Although the assayer ingots were accepted in transactions, many of the private coins and ingots were refined and used to make new United States coinage, once the US mints were able to meet demand. Obviously, small private coins were preferred and hoarded, unlike the larger, inconsistent forms of money, such as ingots.
