Lot 2252
1853 Half Dollar Round. Breen and Gillio-435. Arms of California. Low Rarity 5. PCGS graded MS-63. A very popular California gold coin. Lustrous satiny light golden coin with a few areas of warmer orange-gold surfaces. Nearly details seated figure. A truly beautiful Mint State specimen of a popular scarce Arms of California mint issue from our westernmost region.
One of the more innovative designs within the corpus of California small denomination fractional gold coins. The obverse represents the California state seal (see below for description), while the reverse loosely follows the eagle, ribbon, and shield found on the $50 slugs of the period and still in circulation. Varieties like these would soon be a thing of the past, once the majority of the Breen-Gillio varieties centered on Liberty, Indian, and wreath motifs. This example has natural light toning. The strike is even, as described, and fortunately, there are no injurious marks. Pop 17; 11 finer, 7 in 64, 3 in 65, 1 in 66. (PCGS # 10471)
California State Seal: The Great Seal of the State of California was adopted at the California state Constitutional Convention of 1849 and has undergone a few changes since then, the last being the standardization of the seal in 1937. The seal features the Roman goddess Minerva (Athena in Greek mythology), the goddess of wisdom and war; a California grizzly bear (the official state animal) feeding on grape vines, representing California's wine production; a sheaf of grain, representing agriculture; a miner, representing the California Gold Rush and the mining industry; and sailing ships, representing the state's economic power. Estimated Value $10,000 - 11,000
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| Realized $12,075 |
