LOT #3380 |
Current Bid: $75,100
1851 $50 RE Humbert Fifty Dollar, Reeded Edge, 887 Thous. MS61 NGC. K-6, Low R.5....
Click the image to load the highest resolution version.
Description
1851 Humbert Fifty Dollar, MS61
Reeded Edge, 887 Thous
K-6, First Reverse
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.
Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 6J5M, PCGS# 10214, Greysheet# 11786)
Auction Info
2026 January 14 - 17 FUN US Coins Signature® Auction #1390 (go to Auction Home page)
Proxy Bidding Ends
January
14th
Wednesday
5:50 pm CT
Auction Dates
January
14th-17th
Wednesday-Saturday
Proxy Bidding Time Remaining
0 Days
10h 32m 4s
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 18
Lot Tracking Activity: 39
Page Views: 380
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
22% of the successful bid (minimum $29) per lot.
This lot is in: 2 -
Signature® Floor Session - Platinum Session - II (Live Floor, Live Phone, Mail, Fax, Internet, and Heritage Live):
(Lots 3177-3389) - 6:00 PM Central Time, Wednesday, January 14, 2026.
[Proxy bidding ends ten minutes prior to the session start time. Live Proxy bidding on Heritage Live now starts within 2 hours of when the auction opens for proxy bidding and continues through the live session.]
Exhibition Viewing Times, Title Page, Floor Session and License Information
Additional Location Info:
Heritage Auctions
2801 W. Airport Freeway
Dallas, TX 75261
Shipping, Taxes, Terms and Bidding
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms | US & World Coin Grading Tutorial
Important information concerning Sales Tax and Resale Certificates. Learn More
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms | US & World Coin Grading Tutorial