- More
1852 $50 Assay Office Fifty Dollar, 887 Thous. MS62 NGC....
Click the image to load the highest resolution version.
Description
Condition Census K-13 1852 Assay Office Fifty Dollar
887 Thous., R.5, MS62
1852 $50 Assay Office Fifty Dollar, 887 Thous. MS62 NGC.
K-13, R.5. The newspaper Alta California (which began
publication in January 1849 as Alta Californian) is among
the most abundant sources of information regarding the use and
circulation of gold dust, ingots, gold coinage from the various
private minters, and the "official" pieces of the U.S. Assay
Office. Dan Owens' useful reference, California Coiners and
Assayers (2000) is chock-full of extended quotations from that
newspaper and others, as original source material for the progress
from the earliest private gold coinage, through the foundation of
the State and U.S. Assay Offices, and up through the 1854
establishment of the U.S. Mint in San Francisco.On March 4, 1851, the Alta California noted that "the standard fineness of U.S. coin is 900 thous. The average fineness of California gold has been ascertained to be 887 thous ..." The issuance of the octagonal fifty dollar "slugs" with a fineness of 887 meant that the gold dust and private gold pieces received for coining, or recoining as the case may be, would require minimal use of parting acids to alter the fineness. Parting acids, required to separate the gold from the silver in which it was alloyed, were in short supply in California, and accordingly adjustments of weight had to be made, rather than fineness, by scrupulous coiners.
While earlier U.S. Assay Office pieces had the fineness hand-stamped with individual number punches into the scroll above the eagle and the edges (not margins) were lettered by hand--sometimes leading to inverted letters, a couple of possibly unique examples of which appear in the present sale--the later pieces had the fineness engraved into the die in the same fashion as the other legends. The K-13 is one such variety, and the wording outside of the obverse circle reads UNITED STATES ASSAY OFFICE OF GOLD SAN FRANCISCO, with the date 1852 at bottom. Inside the obverse circle is UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and FIFTY DOLLS. The reverse shows, as Kagin describes it, "engine turning but no target effect (concentric circles small) and the marginal line is even and thin."
The present rare piece is one of three MS62 coins of the K-13 variety so graded at NGC, with none finer, while PCGS has certified two pieces in MS63 (6/07). A few small contact marks are unsurprisingly found on the surfaces of this fairly soft and large gold coin, but none of them requires singular mention. The center obverse is fairly well struck, if not boldly so, while some of the peripheral legends are weak in places. A small rim irregularity is noted on the reverse at 5:45, likely as made. This coin, despite its rarity, is one of the more frequently encountered Territorial gold varieties, although it is seldom seen in so fine a grade. The average grade for examples certified at NGC and PCGS is about XF40, and as such this Condition Census piece represents a significant opportunity for some forthright bidder to begin or add to a world-class collection of these rare and historic pieces. Listed on page 355 of the 2008 Guide Book. Census: 3 in 62, 0 finer (6/07).
From The Pacific Rim Collection.
Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# ANHG, PCGS# 10016)
Learn more at the Newman Numismatic Portal at Washington University in St. Louis.
View all of [The Pacific Rim Collection ]
Auction Info
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
15% of the successful bid (minimum $9) per lot.
Calculate Standard Domestic Shipping Sales Tax information | NGC Coin Grading Guarantee
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms | Coin Grading Tutorial
Floor auctions
Open for bidding: (View All)Comics & Comic Art
Ends on 01/18/2021
Currency
Ends on 01/18/2021
US Coins
Ends on 01/20/2021
Fine Art
Ends on 01/20/2021
World & Ancient Coins
Ends on 01/21/2021
Currency
Ends on 01/21/2021
Currency
Ends on 01/21/2021
US Coins
Ends on 01/21/2021
Sports Collectibles
Ends on 01/21/2021
World & Ancient Coins
Ends on 01/24/2021
Currency
Ends on 01/24/2021
Decorative Art
Ends on 01/28/2021
US Coins
Ends on 01/29/2021
Fine Art
Ends on 02/03/2021
Sports Collectibles
Ends on 02/04/2021
Luxury Accessories
Ends on 02/07/2021
US Coins
Ends on 02/09/2021
Currency
Ends on 02/11/2021
US Coins
Ends on 02/15/2021
US Coins
Ends on 02/22/2021
Jewelry & Timepieces
Opens about 01/22/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 01/20/2021
Decorative Art
Opens about 01/21/2021
US Coins
Opens about 01/29/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 01/27/2021
Currency
Opens about 01/25/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 02/03/2021
Photography
Opens about 02/03/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 02/05/2021
Historical
Opens about 02/08/2021
Sports Collectibles
Opens about 02/05/2021
World & Ancient Coins
Opens about 02/01/2021
Currency
Opens about 02/01/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 02/10/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 02/11/2021
Jewelry & Timepieces
Opens about 02/19/2021
US Coins
Opens about 02/08/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 02/18/2021
Decorative Art
Opens about 02/18/2021
Western & Texas Art
Opens about 02/19/2021
Comics & Comic Art
Opens about 02/19/2021
US Coins
Opens about 02/12/2021
Decorative Art
Opens about 02/23/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 02/24/2021
Heritage membership
- Past Auction Values (prices, photos, full descriptions, etc.)
- Bid online
- Free Collector newsletter
- Want List with instant e-mail notifications
- Reduced auction commissions when you resell your
winnings
- Cash Advances
- More Bidders
- Trusted Experts
- Over 200,000 Satisfied Consignors Since 1976
Learn about consigning with us
I have never been disappointed with your customer service & have been a Heritage customer for approximately 20 yearsView More Testimonials
HA.com receives more traffic than any other auction house website. (Source: Similarweb.com)
Video tutorial
Getting the most out of search