Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 36

Pre-Long Beach Coin and Currency Auction

Territorial Gold Coins

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 4235		Christopher Bechtler, $2.50 GEORGIA, 64 gr. 22 carats. AU-55. The rims are different than normal. Maybe shaved long ago, they have some roughness or graininess. The surfaces appear to have been gently wiped or cleaned as well, but all in all this is a decent example of the early $2.50 denomination (much scarcer than the more often seen Bechtler dollars). Well worth considering. The Bechtler coinage extended over a period of 20 years and was successful in every respect. It received the implied consent of the United States government and at the same time was widely accepted in the channels of commerce in many districts in North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. Based upon the recorded coinage of $2,241,850.50 from the period 1831-1840 plus additional specimens made in the next decade, it is probable that close to a million coins, if not more, were struck bearing the Bechtler imprint. Their prevalence in circulation at one time was attested to by one of Rutherfordton County's older citizens who during the early 20th century told researcher Clarence Griffin that he was 16 years old before he ever saw any coins other than those minted by Bechtler. Estimated Value $9,000 - 11,000. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $14,950
Lot 4236		1849 Norris, Gregg & Norris (San Francisco) $5 Gold. Plain edge. PCGS graded Kagin-2. AU-55. Nice luster and orange gold toning. Struck on a typical natural greenish-gold tinted planchet with abundant mint brightness in the protected areas around the eagle and legends. The surfaces are much choicer than the few remaining scruffy examples known from circulation, there being a slight concentration of marks in the reverse field below the date. Sharply defined throughout with only the barest friction over the highpoints. The shield with its crude 5 (for 5 dollars) is marginally weak, as almost always the case. This is a bright and attractive specimen of one of the first privately issued gold coins in California and excellent for type purposes. The Norris, Gregg, & Norris issues are entirely dissimilar in appearance to the regular United States Liberty $5 gold pieces of 1849. At the time, these coins were accepted as a circulating medium of exchange during the gold rush years. Eventually many disappeared or were likely recoined into federal gold coins once the San Francisco mint began accepting deposits of bullion. Norris, Gregg, & Norris, one of the earliest private gold minters in California brought their minting equipment from New York to Benicia on the northeast corner of San Francisco Bay during the spring of 1848. By the end of May, they were striking $5 gold coins. (Several months later, they moved their operation to Stockton where they issued additional five-dollar pieces with the work STOCKTON on them.) Pop 6; 3 in 58; 1 in 61; 4 in 62; 1 in 63. (PCGS # 10279) . Estimated Value $13,000 - 15,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Unsold
Lot 4237		1849 Norris, Gregg & Norris (San Francisco) $5 Gold. Reeded edge. PCGS graded AU-58. Some mint luster evident. Powerfully burning greenish to yellow gold luster still covers most of the fields and devices on this high-end AU58 example, like a golden fire storm on the satiny, largely brilliant surfaces. A very scarce Norris, Gregg and Norris issue, the obverse displays a small eagle with a shield on its breast. Atop the shield is a large 5 (partially obliterated due to its exposed position on this coin). Around is the legend CALIFORNIA GOLD WITHOUT ALLOY. The eagle holds three arrows in one talon and an olive branch in the other talon. On the reverse (date side) in concentric circles FULL WEIGHT OF HALF EAGLE / a ring of five-pointed stars / N.G.&N. 1849 SAN FRANCISCO. Very rare in all grades, but especially desirable when lustrous and carefully preserved. Choice rims on either side. Pop 5; 4 finer. (PCGS # 10282) . Estimated Value $19,000 - 21,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Unsold
Lot 4238		1849 Norris, Gregg & Norris (San Francisco) $5 Gold. Reeded edge. PCGS graded AU-53. Bold strike. Nice details for grade. Lightly toned. A prize example of this early, possibly first Territorial gold issue, the surface containing much of its original bloom from the dies. The toning shades stylishly from lighter to "warmer" (that is, orange-gold) hues, and both sides are so constituted, both sides beautiful as they are free of spots or planchet defects. The 5 on the shield is clearly discernible. The rims, too, are very choice for the Type. A good place to begin to learn all there is to know about Territorial issues is Dr. Donald Kagin's "Private Gold Coins and Patterns of the United States." Kagin reports that the first company answering the plea for a coinage in California during the heady days of the Gold Rush in 1849 "is generally believed to have been Norris, Gregg, & Norris. Historian Edgar H. Adams claims they were first on the grounds that they were the first coiners to be cited in the California newspapers. The firm is also the first company mentioned in Eckfeldt and DuBois' book, New Varieties of Gold and Silver Coins (1850). Some private gold coiners, however, never were cited in California papers." Of course, many of these early firms, whose business records are almost nonexistent, could have issued products prior to those from Norris, Gregg, & Norris. Dr. Kagin suggests Bowie & Company and Meyers & Company as possibilities. Just the same, on May 31, 1849, in the first known reference to private coinage to appear in any of the California papers, the editors of the Alta California observed: "We have in our possession a Five Dollar gold coin, struck at Benicia City, although the imprint is San Francisco. In general appearance it resembles the United States coin of the same value, but it bears the private stamp of 'Norris, Grieg, & Norris', and is in other particulars widely different." [Note the misspelling of Gregg.] Pop 5; 7 in 55; 5 in 58; 1 in 60; 1 in 61; 2 in 62. (PCGS # 10282) . Estimated Value $14,000 - 16,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $17,825
Lot 4239		1849 Moffat & Co. (San Francisco) $5 Gold. PCGS graded VF-25. A clean coin, just honest wear. We do note 2 scratches on the cheek. Original dusky orange surfaces display rich toning around the devices, with the overall appearance greatly bolstered by all legends and devices being clearly presented. Even the somewhat worn MOFFAT & CO on the headband is completely visible. Regarding this date, it is one of the most widely collected Territorial issues from the first year of the California Gold Rush. Gold was discovered late in 1848, but the full force of the discovery, and the mass of immigrants, did not show up until 1849. For the coin collector looking for a good place to learn about the famous Days of '49 and California Gold Rush, we direct your attention to a valuable web site http://malakoff.com/goldcountry/history.htm whose myriad links and colorful stories will put this handsome Moffat piece in its proper setting. We visit the website regularly for updates and new pieces of information (PCGS # 10240) . Estimated Value $1,700 - 1,900. The Victor Kramer Collection. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $2,185
Lot 4240		1852 Moffat & Co. (San Francisco) TEN D. Wide date. ANACS graded Net EF-40 tooled-cleaned. Regardless of the mentioned problems of being cleaned and tooled, this a pleasing looking example of an important rarity in the Pioneer field. The plate coin in the Breen Encyclopedia. Estimated Value $5,000 - 5,500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $6,613
Lot 4241		1853 U.S. Assay Office $20 Gold, 900 THOUS. PCGS graded MS-61. Well struck. A very bold eagle and shield with complete detail full expressed by the dies. This is a handsome coin. A satiny basic Uncirculated example of the famous Assay Office release struck in .900 Fine gold. Original luster graces the faint orange toned surfaces. Sharply struck Assay coins are the norm, but still, because it is Mint State it easily surpasses most survivors of the Territorial period. Pop 18; 66 finer. (PCGS # 10013) . Estimated Value $10,000 - 12,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Unsold
Lot 4242		1853 U.S. Assay Office $20 Gold, 900 THOUS. PCGS graded AU-50. Lot of frosty mint luster for this grade. An extraordinary fresh appearing example in all respects, the luster is still quite evident and unyielding except in a few places on the high points and scattered areas in the fields. Meanwhile, light peach-orange toning highlights the soft yellow-gold frost on both sides. The strike is more than adequate for an Assay Office of Gold $20 Territorial if not exactly bold on a few of the components of the eagle and shield. Still, as bold as most seen, even the Mint States. Scarce. Desirable. And an opportunity for the bidder (PCGS # 10013) . Estimated Value $5,000 - 5,500. The Victor Kramer Collection. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $5,750
Lot 4243		1850 Baldwin & Co. (San Francisco) $5 Gold. PCGS graded AU-55. Lightly toned with some luster evident. Very sharply struck with rich and deep orange gold suggesting a high copper content in the alloy. Kagin, page 279, notes that other examples exist with a bright yellow appearance from high silver content in the alloy. This example is from the same dies as that in Eliasberg, however, without the heavy die break at star 12 on the obverse. The reverse has the final A in CALIFORNIA cut over an errant upside down V. A crack is noted from the border through top right serif of M, top of V, and wing tip to border over C. All Baldwin dies are by Kuner. On March 15, 1850, the firm bought out F. D. Kohler's assaying and coining apparatus (as Kohler was then anticipating appointment to the office of State Assayer, which duly occurred six weeks later). On May 1, Baldwin & Co. began advertising in the Pacific News as "Successors to F.D.KOHLER & Co. / Assayers, refiners and coiners / Manufacturers of jewelry, etc. / George C. Baldwin and Thos. S. Holman. / All kinds of engraving. Our coins redeemable on presentation." Their operation was evidently successful, since during the first three months of 1851 alone they coined at least $590,000 face value -- $60,000 more than Humbert's federal Assay Office. Part of the reason for this volume of coinage was that melting of many of the early private mint $5, $10, and $20 pieces left a coin shortage. Moffat & Co., another of Baldwin's competitors, issued octagonal $50s under their subcontract with Humbert, failing to relieve the shortage of smaller denominations. Pop 3; 2 in 58. (PCGS # 10025) . Estimated Value $25,000 - 30,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $33,350
Lot 4244		1852 Wass, Molitor & Co. (San Francisco) $5 Gold. Large head. ANACS graded Net VG-8 Damaged. Although some problems due to scratches and once being cleaned, this is a rare and seldom seen coin. Estimated Value $4,000 - 4,500. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold
Lot 4245		1855 Wass, Molitor & Co. (San Francisco) $10 Gold. PCGS graded AU-53. In the gold foil tag holder. Untoned with a hint of gold luster still evident. Partial weakness in the strike on the stars, the eagle and shield, as usual with this minter's coins. There are a few (but not too many) surface abrasions from circulation. Pop 10; 3 in 55; 1 in 58. In addition to the large size of Liberty's head, what distinguishes this variety from other Wass, Molitor eagles is that the obverse portrait was cut rather more deeply into the die. As a result, the obverse details are stronger than those on the reverse, usually giving the appearance as much as 15 grading points inferior to the obverse. The large cruder head differs from the small head variety of this type whose appearance closely resembles the federal issues. Estimated Value $20,000 - 25,000. Ex: SS Central America. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold
Lot 4246		1854 Kellogg & Co. (San Francisco) $20 Gold. PCGS graded AU-58. An incredible coin with as sharp a strike as we have seen. All details are well defined and the planchet was well prepared. The surfaces are totally original, delicately toned and loaded with frosty mint luster. We note a light (recent) surface scratch on the reverse from the left edge thru the N in SAN. When the U.S.s Assay Office closed operations, no private firm was striking gold. The San Francisco Mint opened in 1854, but because of a shortage of parting acids, could not yet completely fulfill the local demand and this shortage was taken up by Kellogg & Co. Pop 6, 10 finer. Estimated Value $12,500 - 15,000. Recently discovered in Europe. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $17,250
Lot 4247		1854 Kellogg & Co. (San Francisco) $20 Gold. PCGS graded AU-53. A sharply struck example in natural greenish color gold with the usual antique look of "old gold" with plenty of character and, this is interesting, fewer than average surface abrasions - a definite "plus" for the Territorial gold collector. Pop 13, 29 finer This design follows the federal coinage closely, but in the space on the coronet where LIBERTY is usually seen, Kellog inserted its firm name of Kellogg & Co. John G. Kellogg went to San Francisco in October 1849, from Auburn, New York. At first, he was employed by Moffat and Company and remained there until 1853 when Kellogg became associated with G.F. Richter, who had been an assayer in the government assay office. These two set up business as Kellogg & Richter in December 1853 and later struck gold $20 pieces and the rare $50 rounds. Estimated Value $7,000 - 8,000. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $7,820