Lot 1730
1851 U.S. Assay Office $50 "slug", 887 THOUS. Reeded edge. NGC graded AU-53. A nice clean "slug" with some minor bumps on the sharp edges of the octogon. Augustus Humbert, a New York watchcase maker, was appointed United States assayer, and he placed his name and the government stamp on the ingots of gold issued by Moffat & Co. The assay office, a provisional government mint, was a temporary expedient to accommodate the Californians until the establishment of a permanent branch mint.
The fifty-dollar gold piece was accepted as legal tender on a par with standard U.S. gold coins and was known variously as a slug, quintuple eagle, or five-eagle piece. It was officially termed an ingot. Pop 9; 41 finer. (PCGS # 10214) .
Estimated Value $35,000 - 40,000.
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| Realized $33,350 |
