1851 San Francisco State of California $2.50 Die Trial. K-1. Rarity-7-. Silver. Reeded Edge. MS-66 (PCGS).This gorgeous Gem really needs to be seen to be fully appreciated. Both sides are vividly toned, the obverse with rich antique gold and blue-gray peripheral toning around a blush of lighter pinkish-rose iridescence in the center. For the reverse we note blended antique gold, light olive, blue-gray and pale pink patina that is most vivid when observed with the aid of direct lighting. Fully struck throughout with appreciable contrast between frosty devices and semi-reflective fields. Virtually pristine, as befits the assigned grade, and sure to please even the most discerning numismatist.As with its San Francisco Standard Mint counterpart (a $5 die trial from which we are also offering in this sale), the origin and intent of the San Francisco State of California is unknown, although its die trials were also likely produced by an English firm as a proposed general coinage for Gold Rush California. The workmanship of these pieces is certainly superior to that of many die trials prepared on the U.S. East Coast by aspiring California coiners such as Moran & Clark. Additionally, Kagin (1981) notes that many San Francisco State of California die trials entered the U.S. numismatic market as part of four-piece sets that included one example each of the $2.50, $5, $10 and $20. The existence of these sets suggests an initial distribution to collectors, something that is completely acceptable for English firm during the 1850s but which would have been highly unusual for a speculative private coiner on the East Coast of the United States during the same decade. Additionally, the San Francisco State of California pieces are often encountered in attractive Mint State preservation, again strongly suggestive of numismatic ownership and car since the time of striking.This is certainly the finest example of this enigmatic coiners $2.50 die trial in silver that we have ever handled. A prized rarity eagerly awaiting inclusion in another advanced cabinet.From the Samuel J. Berngard Collection.
