5784

1849 $5 Norris, Gregg, & Norris Five Dollar,P.E. MS61

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:1.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1849 $5 Norris, Gregg, & Norris Five Dollar,P.E. MS61
<B>1849<$5> Norris, Gregg, & Norris Five Dollar, P.E. MS61 NGC.</B></I> K-2, R.5. It is believed that the coinage of Norris, Gregg, and Norris was the first private gold coinage issue produced in California, and these coins were in circulation prior to May 31, 1849. That was the date of a newspaper account that actually described these coins. The <I>Alta California</B></I> newspaper reported on that date: "We have in our possession, a five dollar gold coin, struck at Benicia City, though the imprint is San Francisco. In its general appearance, it resembles the United States coin of the same value, but it bears the private stamp of 'Norris, Gregg & Norris,' and is in other particulars widely different." Present day Benicia, California is located near Vallejo, about 30 miles northeast of San Francisco.<BR> The imprint of these coins, "California Gold Without Alloy" means that the firm received gold, melted it down, made planchets, and struck coins. They did no further work to refine the gold and bring it up to a certain fineness. Therefore, a wide variance in actual gold content could be expected, with the typical example being approximately 88% pure gold. These pieces were essentially no better than the Baldwin coins, or other later gold issues with limited circulation, but they did not come to the attention of James King of William, thus continued to circulate.<BR> This example is a splendid Mint State piece with vivid green-gold surfaces and fully reflective fields. The surfaces are lightly hairlined with other minor abrasions, yet the overall eye appeal is excellent. This example has sharp design elements, and no evidence of die lapping that is seen on some other pieces. This example is thus among the earliest struck, or the first of the first in California private gold coinage. Listed on page 347 of the 2007 <I>Guide Book.</B></I>