1848 $2 1/2 CAL.--Improperly Cleaned--NCS. AU Details....

Description

Coveted 1848 CAL. Quarter Eagle, AU Details

1848 $2 1/2 CAL.--Improperly Cleaned--NCS. AU Details. Although it will not appear in the Guide Book listing of commemorative coins, in the broadest sense the CAL. quarter eagle does commemorate the first shipment, 230 ounces of California gold, to reach the Philadelphia Mint. The sender was the governor of the California Territory, Col. R.B. Mason, who had in that same year expressed the need for a federal mint in California. The receiver was Secretary of War William L. Marcy, who in turn forwarded the gold on to the Mint in Philadelphia, with instructions to Mint Director that it be coined and specially marked to observe the occasion. The small letters CAL. were accordingly stamped into the reverse die. Thus it is truly the nation's first commemorative coin, even if it is not the first custom-designed coin for commemorative purposes.
Those 230 ounces of gold were employed to produce 1,389 quarter eagles, but only 75 or fewer examples are believed to exist today. This is an attractive coin, despite the surfaces that are just a tad too bright to be original. The reddish patina that is forming over each side of the old cleaning helps the appeal, and slight remnants of the original luster cling to the protected areas around the devices. A small, short scratch below star 12 will aid in future identification. A coveted and popular coin from the historic Gold Rush era.
From The R.M. Phillips Limited Partnership Collection.(Registry values: P2)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 25HA, PCGS# 7749, Greysheet# 8270)

Weight: 4.18 grams

Metal: 90% Gold, 10% Copper

Note for clients in the European Union: This lot is considered by the European Union to be “investment gold”. We believe that it meets the criteria established in Article 344(1), point (2) of Council Directive 2006/112/EC and thus should be exempt from import VAT regardless of the selling price. Any questions or concerns about VAT should be addressed to your accountant or local tax authority.

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