5 Dollars, Massachusetts & California Co., United States, 1849
date: label: date made
content: 1849
name: label: maker
content: Massachusetts and California Co.
notes: label: Description
content: This five dollar coin was produced by the Massachusetts and California Company around 1849. James Marshall’s 1848 discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill kicked off the California gold rush and changed the wealth and reach of the nation as gold was suddenly in plentiful supply and the population was shifting westward. As the government lagged behind the gold rush to mint its own coins, private businesses filled the void in the market. The Massachusetts and California Company operated from 1849 until 1854, most likely bringing gold back to Northampton, Massachusetts, to be minted. Contemporary reports note that the five dollar piece was debased with copper, indicative of coins minted in the east. On the obverse, or front, of the coin are arms holding a spear; a bear and a stag stand on either side of the shield showing a vaquero throwing a lasso. A scroll with “ALTA” appears below the arms. On the reverse is a laurel wreath tied with bow with twenty stars arrayed around. The coin reads “5 Dollars” in the center. The rim reads “MASSACHUSETTS & CALIFORNIA CO 1849.”
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: American Enterprise
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content: Coins, Currency and Medals
label: See more items in
content: Josiah K. Lilly Jr. Collection
label: Exhibition
content: American Enterprise
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.68.159.1158
label: accession number
content: 283645
label: catalog number
content: 68.159.1158
objectType: label: Object Name
content: coin
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: Physical Description
content: struck (overall production method)
label: Measurements
content: overall: .2 cm x 2.2 cm; 3/32 in x 7/8 in