Auction Name: 2026 January 14 - 17 FUN US Coins Signature® Auction

Lot Number: 3380

Shortcut to Lot: HA.com/1390*3380

1851 $50 RE Humbert Fifty Dollar, Reeded Edge, 887 Thous. MS61 NGC. K-6, Low R.5. By the time Augustus Humbert arrived in San Francisco, the state of California was already admitted to the Union, becoming the 31st state. Clearly, a Federal presence was needed to manage the opportunistic private interests causing financial chaos within the booming West Coast economy. The fact that the U.S. Assay Office of Gold would be functioning as a kind of provisional mint did not solve the nagging issue of no reliable circulating gold coin. Early on, the Assay Office of Gold could only mint the cumbersome octagonal fifty dollar gold pieces that were ill-suited for day-to-day transactions within the general public. For larger transactions and for bank-to-bank business as well as customs duties, the fifty dollar slugs were a welcome solution. The Kagin-6, 887 Thous fifty dollar gold pieces were the first variety to employ Albrecht Kuner's new dies without a stamped denomination. The K-6 variety that could be manufactured in a single step, with a reeded edge and without the need to hand-stamp the outer legend AUGUSTUS / HUMBERT / UNITED / STATES / ASSAYER / OF GOLD / CALIFORNIA. Humbert's engine turning on the "1st Reverse" has a large target at the center and an outer engine-turned ribbon that often extends beyond the coin's edge. Today, about 75 K-6 examples exist in private hands, all grades combined. This variety is rare in Mint State, with only about a dozen unimpaired Mint State pieces identified.

Roster of Significant Examples
This Roster of Significant Examples was provided in 2024 by Ron Guth and the Numismatic Detective Agency and updated to include recent appearances.
1. MS63 PCGS. CAC. Michael F. Higgy Collection (Numismatic Gallery / Abe Kosoff), 9/1943), lot 1382, $600; Auction '90 (Stack's, 8/1990), lot 490, $27,500; Reed Hawn Collection (Stack's, 10/1993), lot 1173, $21,000; Klamath Mountain Collection, Part II (Heritage, 1/2014), lot 5621, $440,625; Tampa FUN Platinum Session (Heritage, 1/2016), lot 5720, $381,875; FUN Auction (Heritage, 1/2017), lot 6136, $352,500.
2. MS63 NGC. Casady Collection (Heritage, 8/2024), lot 4458, $186,000
3. MS62 PCGS. Rarities Night (Stack's Bowers, 11/2023), lot 3292.
4. MS62 PCGS. CAC. Riverboat Collection (Heritage 4/2014), lot 5417 as PCGS AU58; Rarities Night (Stack's Bowers, 11/2023), lot 3291 as PCGS MS62 CAC, $204,000.
5. MS62 PCGS. Riverboat Collection (Heritage, 4/2014), lot 5418, $223,250; Rarities Night (Stack's Bowers, 5/2015)), lot 105, not sold.
6. MS62 NGC. Pre-Long Beach (Goldberg Auctions, 9/2006), lot 2561, $132,250.
7. MS62 NGC. Auction '79 (RARCOA, 7/1979), lot 1455; Auction '80 (RARCOA, 8/1980), lot 1916, $34,000; Pre-Long Beach (Superior, 6/1999), lot 3910, not sold.
8. MS62 NGC. Pre-Long Beach (Goldberg Auctions, 9/2006), lot 2561, $132,250.
9. MS61 NGC. Richard C. Jewell (American Numismatic Rarities, 3/2005), lot 513, $39,100; Baltimore Rarities Night (Stack's Bowers, 11/2021), lot 4148, $168,000. The present coin.
10. MS61 NGC. Pacific Rim Collection (Heritage, 8/2007), lot 2112, $86,250; ANA Auction (Kagin's, 2/2020), lot 1310, $90,000; Dallas Signature (Heritage, 8/2020), lot 4127, $96,000.
11. MS61 NGC. Global Showcase Auction (Stack's Bowers, 8/2022), lot 7247, $99,000.
12. MS60 NGC. Spring Auction (Stack's Bowers, 3/2024), lot 4416, $81,000; Summer FUN Signature (Heritage, 7/2025), lot 3304; $87,000.

The present example is well within the top dozen Kagin-6 pieces known. It displays an unusually strong strike for the issue. While most surviving examples of this iconic Gold Rush issue are well-circulated or impaired, this coin is well-preserved with tempting honey-gold color that retains traces of reflectivity among the lustrous fields and open areas. In our opinion, both the eye appeal and technical quality may well exceed the assigned numeric grade. Territorial gold specialists will be wise to recognize the many bold and attractive attributes possessed by this early eight-sided Humbert fifty. Listed among the 100 Greatest U.S. Coins.

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