1853 United States Assay Office of Gold $20. K-18. Rarity-2. 900 THOUS. AU Details--Repaired (PCGS). A sharp and desirable example of this famous issue with strong eye appeal despite the noted surface issues. An unusually smooth texture shows in the fields beneath a glass, and a few disturbances near the rims suggest an old mount that has been removed. Even so, the strike is uniform and intricate, with traces of luster surrounding the design elements in most areas.This is one of the most frequently encountered types in the privately minted California Gold Rush coinage series of the late 1840s and 1850s. The United States Assay Office of Gold under Curtis, Perry and Ward struck 2.5 million 900 THOUS $20 gold pieces from the beginning of March to the end of October, 1853. The coins were widely distributed, with many finding their way into circulation on the West Coast and others being shipped back to the Eastern United States as gold bullion. Thirty different dies were used to produce this high mintage issue, and they survived until destroyed by fires caused by the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. From the Francesca Collection.
