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Session Four - Monday February 13, 2017 4:00 pm PST
1851 U.S. A
SSAY
O
FFICE
$50 "
SLUG
",
880 THOUS. R
EEDED
EDGE
1460
1851 Humbert $50 Gold, 880 THOUS. Reeded edge
.
NGC graded EF-45
. Mostly untoned with smooth wear on
the high points of the design. There are a few minor bumps
at the corners, as nearly always seen on these huge octag-
onal gold coins. The surfaces are generally attractive,
showing far fewer handling marks than commonly encoun-
tered. The strike is sharp too. Identifiable by a minor plan-
chet flaw near one of the corners on the reverse.
Pop 18;
62 finer at NGC.
Estimated Value .....................................$30,000 - 35,000
1852 U.S. A
SSAY
O
FFICE
$50 G
OLD
,
900 THOUS
1461
1852 U.S. Assay Office $50 Gold, 900 THOUS
.
NGC
graded AU-50
. This is a well struck example for the Terri-
torial gold collector who appreciates quality and eye
appeal. So many of these large, octagonal gold behemoths
are found with significant bumps at the corners, but that is
not the case here, and the surfaces show fewer handling
marks than the usually seen. Furthermore, the lettering and
devices offer the attractive orange-gold tinges intermixed in
the protected areas. While these were originally struck in
fairly large numbers, all but a modest number were melted
and turned into later Federal coinage once the San Fran-
cisco Mint was up and running in 1854. The United States
Assay Office, which struck these coins, issued them in vari-
ous "fineness" blends, depending on their ability to get
enough parting acids used to purify the gold coming out of
the ground and rivers of Calfornia. There was so much gold
that needed to be refined, that the early territorial minters
were barely able to keep up with the demand.
Pop 4; 31
finer at NGC.
Estimated Value .................................... $40,000 - 44,000