Paul Song
Director
Coins / USA, 1851 50 A. Humbert 880 THOUS. Target Reverse, Reeded Edge (K-5), Genuine, Fine Details, Filed Rims PCGS
Lot 79
USA, 1851 $50 A. Humbert 880 THOUS. Target Reverse, Reeded Edge (K-5), Genuine, Fine Details, Filed Rims PCGS
27 June 2022, 13:00 PDT
Los AngelesSold for US$19,200 inc. premium
Looking for a similar item?
Our specialists can help you find a similar item at an auction or via a private sale.
Find your local specialistSpecialists
USA, 1851 $50 A. Humbert 880 THOUS. Target Reverse, Reeded Edge (K-5), Genuine, Fine Details, Filed Rims PCGS
A satisfying example of this rare issue that is encountered more frequently than it's Reeded Edge counterpart. The complexion is overall orange-gold in color, with traces of darker patina remaining in the recesses and around the devices. The surfaces display notable wear and a number of small marks and abrasions so common to these large, heavy coins. Even so, the detail remains quite bold for the type. As noted by PCGS, close examination reveals evidence of rim filing (a common practice at the time of issue) and there are three planchet voids seen near the center of the reverse.
The United States Assay Office in San Francisco, California was established pending opening of an official branch of the United States Mint in that region. The expedient of establishing an assay office in California during the early 1850s was urgently required, and for a number of reasons. The discovery of gold in California in 1848 resulted in a large migration of people to the West Coast, the creation of a booming economy that was initially starved for a viable medium of exchange and the need for a way to refine the newly mined gold into a form that was suitable for both circulation and transport to the business centers on the East Coast. With Augustus Humbert appointed as assayer, the firm of Moffat & Co. initially accepted the contract to serve as the United States Assay Office, their large fifty-dollar gold ingots soon gaining widespread acceptance among banks and merchants.
An important find for the advanced collector specializing in Territorial gold coinage, particularly those hailing from the heady days of Gold Rush California. (10211)
The United States Assay Office in San Francisco, California was established pending opening of an official branch of the United States Mint in that region. The expedient of establishing an assay office in California during the early 1850s was urgently required, and for a number of reasons. The discovery of gold in California in 1848 resulted in a large migration of people to the West Coast, the creation of a booming economy that was initially starved for a viable medium of exchange and the need for a way to refine the newly mined gold into a form that was suitable for both circulation and transport to the business centers on the East Coast. With Augustus Humbert appointed as assayer, the firm of Moffat & Co. initially accepted the contract to serve as the United States Assay Office, their large fifty-dollar gold ingots soon gaining widespread acceptance among banks and merchants.
An important find for the advanced collector specializing in Territorial gold coinage, particularly those hailing from the heady days of Gold Rush California. (10211)