36.55 Dollars, California State Assay Office, United States, 1850
date: label: date made
content: 1850
label: associated date
content: 1850
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: One (1) 36.55 dollar ingot
label: Description (Brief)
content: United States, 1850
label: Description (Brief)
content: Obverse Image: N/A
label: Description (Brief)
content: Obverse Text: F. D. KOHLER / STATE ASSAYER / SAC. / CAL. / 1850 / 20 CARAT / 42 DWT. / 12 GRS. / $36.55 CTS
label: Description (Brief)
content: Reverse Image: N/A
label: Description (Brief)
content: Reverse Text: F. D. KOHLER / STATE ASSAYER
label: Description
content: The discovery of gold in 1848 at Sutter’s Mill spurred a great wave of migration to California. Hundreds of thousands of people traveled to the territory from around the world to strike it rich. Fierce competition for mining stakes caused tensions among the gold seekers, and resulted in discriminatory actions toward Chinese people. Increasing competition and varied pricing for gold resulted in the creation of the Office of State Assayer, Melter, and Refiner of Gold by Governor Peter Burnett, which tested the ingredients of gold and produced ingots stamped with their value. Frederick D. Kohler, a jeweler and volunteer fire fighter from New York City, moved to California in 1849 and started a private assayer firm with David C. Broderick. When the State Assay Office was created, Governor Burnett appointed Kohler as California’s first and only State Assayer in 1850. Approximately 5,000 ounces of gold were deposited with Kohler on the first day that the State Assay Office opened, with larger quantities following including several counterfeit nuggets. Congress soon replaced the State Assayer Office with the United States Assayer Office in 1851.
place: label: place made
content: United States: California
label: place of issue
content: United States: California
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection
label: See more items in
content: Josiah K. Lilly Jr. Collection
label: See more items in
content: Many Voices, One Nation
label: Exhibition
content: Many Voices, One Nation
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Estate of Josiah K. Lilly
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: NU.68.159.1151
label: accession number
content: 283645
label: catalog number
content: 68.159.1151
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Coin
label: Object Name
content: ingot
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: gold (overall metal)
label: Physical Description
content: 0 (overall die axis)
label: Physical Description
content: 0 (overall die axis measurement)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 2.35 cm x 3.3 cm x .5 cm; 15/16 in x 1 5/16 in x 3/16 in