Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 63

The Pre-Long Beach Auction of US, World Coins and Currency

Territorial Gold Coins

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 1899		Christopher Bechtler, 5 DOLLARS CAROLINA, 140 gr. 20 carats. Plain edge. Sharpness of EF-45 cleaned years ago. Soft yellow to greenish gold with coppery orange accents in one or two areas. Devoid of most marks of consequence and a attractive enough to attract bids as such. Struck in Rutherfordton, North Carolina, from gold taken during the country's first "gold rush;" Rutherford County, North Carolina and the surrounding regions (including nearby Georgia) were the source of most of American gold from about 1790 to 1840 or so, until the California gold strikes of 1848-49. Struck from well made dies; both sides show strong legends without weak areas. An elusive issue. And an opportunity for those interested in early private gold issues. Estimated Value $4,000 - 4,500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $8,625
Lot 1900		August Bechtler, 1 DOLLAR CAROLINA, 27 gr. 21 carats. PCGS graded MS-62. Well struck with lovely prooflike surfaces. In an old green label holder. The Bechtler mint was a private enterprise conducted at the residence of Christopher Bechtler, and operated by him and the Bechtler family. The enterprise was highly esteemed in its time, well covered in newspapers and financial journals, and served great utility in providing circulating coins in that region. There were no mints in North Carolina or Georgia until 1838, and the Bechtler enterprise, which began in 1830, filled an important niche. The federal government did not dissuade the Bechtlers from striking and circulating their gold coins, and instead allowed the private mint to continue in full operation. In fact, now and again mention of it was made in the Annual Report of the Director of the Mint. Pop 10; 5 in 63 (PCGS # 10040) . Estimated Value $4,500 - 5,500. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $7,044
Lot 1901		August Bechtler, 1 DOLLAR CAROLINA, 27 gr. 21 carats. NGC graded AU-58. A hint of light tone about the devices. Lustrous around some of the legends with light golden gray surfaces free of marks. Nearly depth of detail on the legends. A truly beautiful AU58 specimen of a popular Private mint gold issue from one of America's earliest coining facility set up outside the Federal jurisdiction. Pop 77; 98 finer. Estimated Value $4,000 - 4,500. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold
Lot 1902		1854 Kellogg & Co. (San Francisco) $20 Gold. NGC graded Details of Uncirculated Reverse rim filed. A nice bold strike, untoned with pleny of mint luster intact. With the imminent opening of the San Francisco Mint, the United States Assay Office ceased operations on December 14, 1853. At that time no private firms were coining gold. The United States Assay Office, under contract to Messrs. Curtis and Perry, was being reconverted to house the authorized United States Branch Mint. The coining firm of Moffat & Co., operating on the corner of Clay and Dupont Streets, hired John Kellogg, a recent arrival from New York. The latter remained with them through their move to Montgomery Street, during their service to the United States Assay Office, and during the transference of operations to Curtis, Perry and Ward. In mid-January, 1854, several banking houses in San Francisco and Sacramento, feeling the deleterious effects of a coin shortage, wrote an urgent request to Kellogg & Richter to supply private coins until the U.S. branch mint became operational. Approximately two weeks later, on January 31, Kellogg & Richter replied that they could comply with the bankers' request within ten days. True to its word, the firm issued its private gold coins on February 9, 1854. These were $20 pieces which Kellogg claimed his firm could issue at the rate of $20,000 worth per day. The dies for the coins, which greatly resembled those of the United States issues, probably were cut by Kuner. Estimated Value $4,000 - 4,500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $4,830
Lot 1903		1855 Kellogg & Co. (San Francisco) $20 Gold. NGC graded AU-50. In 1855, the new San Francisco mint was still unable to meet the coinage needs of the area, and an article in May of that year mentioned that Kellogg & Co. was supplying over 50 percent more coins than the United States Mint. Indeed Kellogg & Co. issued more gold coins in 1855 than in the previous year; often from $60,000 to $80,000 daily. A large number of these coins is thought to have been lost when the steamer Pacific sank on a trip from San Francisco to New York. It is unknown when Kellogg & Co. ceased issuing $20 gold pieces, but it was probably at the end of 1855 when the United States Mint was back in full operation. No further issues were contemplated by this firm. Kellogg & Humbert was dissolved in 1860, and Kellogg organized a new partnership with John Hewston, Jr. and J. H. Stearns, conducting an assaying business at the old 416 Montgomery Street location. Kellogg, Hewston & Co. operated with much success until they sold out in 1866 to the San Francisco Assaying and Refining Works. That firm conducted the business until the financial crisis of 1875, when it passed into the hands of the Selby Lead and Silver Smelting Company. An fairly light gold colored example with a decent if not bold strike and typical circulation marks. Everything you would expect from the grade including luster around the devices. Historically significant as one of the last privately issued gold coins in the Territorial period of the California Gold Rush. Estimated Value $6,000 - 6,500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $6,900
Lot 1904		1855 Kellogg & Co (San Francisco) $50 Gold Commemorative Restrike. PCGS graded Gem Uncirculated. Struck in San Francisco September 7, 2001. These huge gold coins were struck from transfer dies made from the original 1855 Kellogg and Company dies. The planchets were made from original Kellogg and Humbert assayers gold ingots recovered from the S.S. Central America treasure. This coin has a stamp on the reverse above the eagle showing "Struck September 7, 2001. C.H.S. " (California Historical Society). This coin also bears an inscription "S.S. Central American Gold C.H.S." on the reverse ribbon. This coin is listed in the Guide Book on page 378. This coin comes with a custom hand-hammered copper frame with gold imprinted purple ribbons - modeled after the San Francisco Jeweler's Shreve & Co., for the famous 1915-S Panama-Pacific commemorative coins. Less than 500 of these were minted in Uncirculated condition. A truly historic commemorative coin struck from the actual gold recovered from the S.S. Central America ship wreck. Estimated Value $3,000 - 3,500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $4,313