Undated (1849) Miners Bank $10 Die Trial. K-1. Rarity-8. Copper. Reeded Edge. VF-20 Corroded (Uncertified).，6.9 grams. 26 mm. An amazingly rare territorial pattern or die trial, an example of which has not been offered at public auction since 1982, when the Henry Clifford specimen was sold by Bowers and Ruddy Galleries. Three 19th century auction appearances of a copper Miners Bank $10 were cited by Edgar Adams in his 1913 Private Gold Coinage of California, 1849-55, one called Very Good in the famous Parmelee sale of 1890, one called Fine in Woodwards 1884 Sale of the Levick Collection, and a third called Fine in Scott Stamp and Coin Companys June 1893 Auction. Only one side of the Levick piece is plated, and neither of the others is plated. Cliffords could be any of these 3 pieces, or it could be a fourth, and the current example could also be one of these 3, or a 5th example. And an example was included as #57 in the 1964 catalog of the Kenyon Painter collection, which is probably one of the 19th century auction pieces, though it may be a 6th example. This piece is dark ruddy brown and quite corroded-the vestiges of remaining detail hint at the fact that this piece was very sharp, maybe even Mint State, when it became corroded; such corrosion could easily have set in since these 19th century auction appearances, perhaps confusing the number of actual survivors. A copper die trial Miners Bank $10 piece has been missing from all major auctions of Territorial gold and patterns of the late 20th century, save Cliffords. It was also missing from the circa 2008 Kagins Fixed Price List and Catalogue of the otherwise comprehensive Robert Bass Collection of Territorial Patterns. None of the major third-party grading services have chosen to certify this particular example, citing that it is "not suitable for encapsulation" due to its poor condition. We believe it to be perfectly authentic, having come to us in an otherwise unassuming non-collector family accumulation. We solicited the opinions of Territorial experts Don Kagin and David McCarthy, and they also felt the piece to be perfectly genuine. Here is an opportunity for the Territorial specialist to acquire a trial for a Territorial gold coin that is among the very first issues of California gold.
