½ Dollar - California Territorial Gold "Arms"

Features

Issuer	United States
Type	Emergency coinage › Merchant tokens
Year	1853
Value	½ Dollar = 50 Cents (½ USD)
Currency	Dollar (1785-date)
Composition	Złoto
Shape	Okrągły
Technique	Frezowana
Demonetized	Yes
Number	N# 117630
References	CPFG# 435 Walter Breen, Ronald J. Gillio; 2003. California pioneer fractional gold: Historic gold rush small change 1852-1857 and suppressed jewelers' issues 1858-1882 (2^nd Edition). Bowers and Merena Galleries, Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, United States.

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Obverse

(en) California state arms.

Reverse

(en) Eagle, ribbon, and shield.

Comments

(en) 1853 50C Arms of California 50 Cents, BG-435, Low R.5, MS63 PCGS. The "Arms of California" is one of the most famous California small denomination gold varieties. It appears only on BG-435. The importance of this variety is cemented by the appearance of both sides on the back of the second edition of Breen-Gillio, the only variety shown on the back. It is also the only variety to have both sides depicted on the front of the Jay Roe collection catalog. The obverse, of course, is based on the California state arms. The reverse imitates the eagle, ribbon, and shield seen on the Assay Office gold coins still in production in 1853. The maker of this unique type is unknown

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Date			Mintage		VG	F	VF	XF	AU	UNC
Undetermined
1853			1									(en) Unique

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