A Kellogg and Humbert gold ingot recovered from the wreck of the SS Central America is offered at Heritage Auctions.

The sinking of the SS Central America was the partial cause of the Panic of 1857

The lot will sell as part of a consignment of numismatic pieces from the collection of Eric P Newman at the Florida United Numismatists (FUN) convention in Florida on January 11.

The ship sank off the coast of the Carolinas during a storm in 1857. It was carrying a huge cargo of gold - so much, in fact, that its loss contributed to a major financial crisis that same year.

The lot weighs in at 152.9 ounces, making it one of the larger ingots to be sold, and is valued at upwards of $130,000.

The gold was salvaged in 1997, with the majority going to the crew of the salvage vessel. One 80 pound ingot realised $8m in a 2001 sale.