Lot 632
1856 Half Dollar Octagonal. Breen and Gillio-307, High Rarity 5. PCGS graded Details of Uncirculated, Environmental Damage. This is the first offering of an California Fractional Gold coins that were recovered from the S. S. Central America shipwreck. The obverse design is that of a head of Liberty facing left, with thirteen star surrounding on the octagonal planchet. The reverse is the classic design which states CALIFORNIA GOLD surrounding, with a beaded circle below, within the circle is 1/2 DOLLAR / 1856 / with a star below. Finding this coin on a shipwreck from 1857 fits perfectly in that these smaller coins were in great demand to make change during the California Gold Rush, as silver coins were still in short supply for common, lower value transactions. Hence these California Fractional Gold coins were made in an around the San Francisco area to ease the silver coin deficit in California and to facilitate making change for transactions with 25C, 50C and $1.00 gold coins. Estimated Value $300 - UP
Ex S.S. Central America, in a special PCGS holder with a pinch of gold from the find.
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| Realized $720 |
