California 1875 1/2 dollar BG-933
This specimen was lot 1081 in Stack's Bowers August 2020 auction, where it sold for $336. The lot description noted, "1875 Octagonal 50 Cents. Rarity-5. Indian Head. MS-62 (NGC)." Prior to the establishment of the San Francisco mint in 1854, there was no government outlet for the gold mined in California's Gold Rush. Small change, in particular, became very scarce. Private minters stepped in to fill the gap and dozens of varieties of quarter, half and whole gold dollars were produced. The private issues were banned in 1864 but the law was not enforced until the 1880's. As the fractional issues were usually lightweight, they circulated little but they became very popular as souvenirs and many jewelers produced them.
Recorded Mintage: unknown.
Specification: 0.84 g, 0.900 fine gold.
Catalog reference: KM 9.3 for 1875-76, includes BG-933, -934, -935. The example shown is BG-933.
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- Breen, Walter H., Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U. S. and Colonial Coins, New York: Doubleday, 1987.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Yeoman, R. S., and Kenneth Bressett (ed.), A Guide Book of United States Coins, 65th Ed., Atlanta, GA: Whitman Publishing, 2011.
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