"I would not be too quick to accept Hodder's suggestion that "the question of the Western bars should now be settled in their favor"--especially in view of Hodder's finding that a "Blake & Agnell" $23.30 bar, declared to be "22 Carat," is only .857 fine. While Hodder calls 22 Carat ".916" fine, of course it is really 916-2/3, and the bar is undervalued by more than 6.5%

When Augustus Humbert performed the assays of private California gold coins for James King of William in March 1851, the very worst of them were deficient by only 3%, but that was enough to drive them out of circulation. A shortfall more than twice this large is not to be expected.

This bar was doubted long before Buttrey gave his paper; when sold as part of the Clifford collection in March 1982, it realized less than half its low estimate. The "Agnell" name seems anachronistic and derived from a typographical error in Adams, as the assayer's name was actually Agrell.

The discovery of authentic Blake and Co. bars from the Central America, which are of a completely different appearance though issued at nearly the same time as this bar purports to be, increases suspicions. Though Hodder contents himself by remarking "Its difference is the largest measured," it is difficult to see how this bar, at least, can possibly be authentic."