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1849 Norris GN $5 Gold Reeded Edge PCGS MS62

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:10,000.00 USD Estimated At:20,000.00 - 40,000.00 USD
1849 Norris GN $5 Gold Reeded Edge PCGS MS62
Norris, Gregg, and Norris $5. Reeded Edge. Breen
A lustrous, fully struck, greenish-gold prooflike specimen of this historic issue, the first private gold series struck during the California Gold Rush. The coin is blessed with abundant detail, and is as well struck as any that have crossed our desk in this grade in recent years!

Despite the fact that the identity of the N.G.N. named on the coin was unspecified until 1902, when Augustus Humbert's own specimen sold at auction, contemporary numismatists recognize the historic magnitude of this coin, it appears to be the very first gold circulation issue struck during the Gold Rush. Announcement of it was made in the May 31, 1849 issue Alta California, including a statement that it was "struck at Benicia City, though the imprint is San Francisco." In the months that followed, the Philadelphia Mint would assay several samples and find that their metallic content was worth within a few cents of the putative $5 value. Today, these coins are esteemed for their historic value, their rarity, and their well-rendered design. (#10282)<p><i>The Endangered Species Collection</i>