1852美国黄金检验局50美元金币 PCGS MS 61
1852 United States Assay Office of Gold $50. K-13. Rarity-5. 887 THOUS. MS-61 (PCGS). Scarce in an absolute sense and exceedingly rare in Mint State, this is one of the most significant $50 "slugs" from the California Gold Rush that we have ever had the privilege of bringing to auction. Both sides are satiny with bright honey-orange patina, however, there is considerable prooflike reflectivity in the obverse field. Striking detail is typical of this challenging type, the central obverse high points blunt and the peripheral inscription on that side also soft. The extraordinary level of preservation, on the other hand, means that the inscription UNITED STATES ASSAY OFFICE OF GOLD SAN FRANCISCO CALIFORNIA is fully legible.
All other design elements on that side are sharp, the date full, and the eagles breast and wing feathers crisp. The target design on the reverse is sharply defined throughout.California gold "slugs" of all types are large, heavy coins that saw active commercial use, and the typical survivor is not only well worn, but also heavily abraded and often with significant edge problems. Not so here. The edges on both sides are smooth overall with no mentionable blemishes. The surfaces are quite smooth, and the only noteworthy mark on either side is a thin, vertical graze in the upper left obverse field. Clearly this rare Mint State survivor somehow managed to escape active circulation, surprising, as there was no known numismatic interest in these historic coins at the time of their production and, indeed, no numismatic activity of any kind on the West Coast during the Gold Rush era.The earliest of the $50 pieces were produced in 1851 under Augustus Humberts name at a non-federal .880 fine standard, which quickly rose to .887 fine. In 1852, Humberts name was entirely removed and the slugs were then struck under the name of the United States Assay Office of Gold, but still at the same .887 standard.
Things proceeded well for the Assay Office and even smaller denomination coins were struck. An unexpected blow came in the form of legislation passed in August 1852 that suddenly forbade the Customs Office from accepting any gold coin not struck at the federally-mandated .900 purity. This legislation resulted in the replacement of the 887 THOUS pieces, Kagin-13 represented here, with the K-14 900 THOUS type.Today, perhaps a few hundred of these impressive $50 gold "slugs" of all types are extant, most of which are well worn and also impaired due to cleaning, edge and/or surface damage. Even problem free, aesthetically appealing Choice AU examples are rare. In Mint State, as here, this is an exceedingly rare coin that would serve as the focal point in the finest cabinet.As of this writing, no PCGS-certified Mint State 1852 K-13 $50 gold coin has sold at auction in the modern numismatic market.
