1849 Massachusetts & California Co. $5 Die Trial. K-2B. Rarity-7+. Gilt Copper. Reeded Edge. AU Details--Reverse Damage (NGC).The surfaces exhibit a soft matte-like texture with warm golden patina, closer inspection revealing light microporosity. A small dig, likely a crude test mark, is seen at the lower left reverse just within the wreath, thereby explaining the NGC qualifier. This is one of the Massachusetts & California Co. styles that are considered originals, as opposed to the variants thought to be early 20th century products made by or for Stephen Nagy. Struck by the same dies used for the silver example in our (Stacks) offering of the John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, Part XXIV. Remarkably, the extensive collection of 14 pieces from this issuer in our (Bowers and Merenas) 1982 sale of Henry Clifford Collection did not have a gilt copper example from these dies, though impressions from them were represented in both silver and copper. An interesting piece from this hopeful firm, one that apparently never made it into full operation in the State of California.From the Collection of Samuel J. Berngard. From our (Stacks) sale of September 1977, lot 1716; our sale of the Dr. Dexter Seymour Collection, Chicago ANA Sale, August 2014, lot 4292.
