10 Dollars, Miners Bank, United States, 1849
date: label: date made
content: 1849
name: label: maker
content: Miners' Bank
notes: label: Description
content: This ten dollar gold coin was minted by the Miners Bank of San Francisco in 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 suddenly gold was in abundant supply and the population was shifting westward. With the plentiful gold, private companies sprang up to supply coinage for the growing population and burgeoning economy. One such company was the Miners Bank, founded in 1849. The bank issued both coins and notes, but when the coins were assayed at only .866 fineness they soon fell into disfavor and could only be redeemed at a 20% discount. Many of the coins were melted down and remade into official U.S. slugs. On the obverse, or front, is an eagle with spread wings and a breast shield, with 13 stars and “California” also printed above. On the reverse is printed “Miners, Bank” at the top and “Ten. D.” in the center, with “San Francisco” below and two stars in the center.
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
label: See more items in
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.68.159.1159
label: accession number
content: 283645
label: catalog number
content: 68.159.1159
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 2.5 cm; 3/32 in x 31/32 in