The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-06-04
FIFTY DOLLAR GOLD PIECES.
A Collector Recltes Specific Facts
and Dates Of Coinage.

~. c. IL somewhat IN error concerHihs
THE $50 gold pieces. They were NOT
"minted regularly and circulated by the
United States" and not legal tender.
only two OF them were ever coined at
the United States Mint n they are
really included In the pattern series.
They bear the date of 1877. are circu-
lar, two inches In diameter and one
eighth inch thick. \ coin OF this Kind,
Il half u%nion.' was recommended In
1884 by Secretary OF the Treasury
Guthrie. For thirty years or more they
were supposed by all collectors to have
been melted up. In 1909 william II.
Woodin Of New York purchased these
two coins of John Haseltine and stephen
X. Macy. Philadelphia coin dealers. pay
ing a record price OF 10000 each.
These two coins should not be con-
fused with the ordinary or garden var
icty Of $50 gold pieces or slugs which
We're turned out In immense quantities
in California by private coiners (unttl
1859 any one could ave his own mtnt)
known as United States assay contrac-
tors. who guaranteed the weight and fine
ness Of the ingots. as they were officially
called. The first n was struck Feb
ruary 90. 1851 II was octagonal and
weighed two n three-quarter ounces.
II * said that $4,000. 900 worth OF gold
was coined In this way in the first nine
months. They were also made In 1852
and 1855 and were OF many different
designs. some OF them being circular.
The regular United States coins of
gold were 900 fine, while the California
slugs were made In three degrees Of
hneness. So. .Ss4 and .ss7. the differ
cuce being made up in weight. The diff
ference in fncness was due TO the Silver
contained In the California gold. Their
average mint value was about 5000,
hut Il was often necessary to accept a
discount OF . or 3 per cent. In order to
get n changed. Some Of them now
command large premiums, ~he, II Is said,
being valued at $500.
For a time Il was thought they were
legal tender and they were received by
the Collector OF the Port Of San Fran
cisco for customs duties. but he was
later instructed to receive only coins OF
the standard of hnencss OF the regular
United states issues. In 1850 there was
issued a si0.07 gold slug which is now
worth $500.
Probably few people ever heard Of n
s25 gold piece. There f. just one Of
them known to be in existence and Il
WAS issued in California in 1S49 by
'~Templeton Reid, Assayer." As far
hack as 1880 this same Reid was making
gold coins OF various denominations at
his private mint nca the gold mines In
Georgia. one of his s. Georgia gold
coins sold for s555 in 1906.
There was an odd gold piece current
Ia California in the old days. bearing
the words, "Moffatt Il Co. goa. Carat,
SIS" This was in three lines on an
iugot OF o0long shape. one Of these was
sold In 1905 for $40. The same concern
also issued another oddly in the sa.43
piece. This was an ingot too. semi
circular at one end. and they are a
greater rarity than the SIC piece, which
was probably Intended to TAX the place
Of the Spanish doubloon. strictly speak
ing. the old double doubloon or
douhloon onzl 'ounccs OF Cold). In
1877 Ephraim Brasher. a New York
jeweller, coined what are known az the
New York douhloons." Only five of
them are definitely known to be In exist
orce, and one of them, which brought
only $3.50 AT auction IN 1889, has since
been sold for $4,000.
The stella" or 81 gold piece Of 1879
and lSNo. was an experimental coin.
only about 45o being made, and these
ala not get into general circulation. the
greater part being purchased by mem
beers or Congress at about cost. These
coins were about the size of n 81 gold
piece hut thinner and bore the cabalistic
characters. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
So. which stand for the PROPORTIONS Of
gold. silver md copper of which thcy
were composed ana the weight. Note
that the stars number thirteen.
The 50 gold pieces belong TO the rcg,,-
lar issues Of the United States. Some OF
these coins are fairly common while
others are rare md command premiums
ranging well up in the hundreds.
There were over 500 known varieties
OF the gold dollar, half dollar and quar-
ter dollar pieces associated with Cali
fornia. With one or two exceptions Il
is thought they were struck by Jewellers.
They were simply tokens or souvenirs
and have been made in various parts
of the country, Notwithstanding the fact
mat all have been ascribcd to Cali
iornia. som" We're circular and some
o%Ctagoual The gold in these coins at
iitst was fairly fine but soon detcriorated
-roatly and many of them might prom
crIy he placed In the category Of
coun'crfc!ts. | established the status of
som" in my collection by the simple
and effective, though expensive. method
which IL said to have resulted in the
discovery that little pigs roastcd whole
arc very delicious, burning down tho
building which housed them. There was
no appeal from tho verdict following the
trial by Are Of the coins.
j H. NErriEToN.
NEW N FoRn. Conn. June 3.