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1851 U.S. Assay Office $50 slug 887 THOUS. Lettered

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:100.00 USD Estimated At:100.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1851 U.S. Assay Office $50 slug 887 THOUS. Lettered
<b>1851 U.S. Assay Office &#36;50 &#34;slug&#34; 887 THOUS. Lettered edge, no 50 on reverse. NGC graded EF40.</b> Still-lustrous in a few places with tinges of old-gold color in the protected areas. Abrasions are present but not overly numerous &#40;heavy marks are typically seen on this heavy piece of territorial gold history&#41;. Furthermore, we can report there are virtually none of the more bothersome edge and corner bumps found on most of these. These large gold &#34;slugs,&#34; or ingots as they were called represent tangible evidence of the California Gold Rush over 150 years ago. They are always admired by students of history and highly collectible today.

In 1851, the United States Assay Office of Gold began production using Moffat & Company&#39;s equipment, under the direction of assayer Augustus Humbert. Only fifty-dollar slugs were made in 1851. Varieties K-1 through K-4 have the 1851 date on the edge. On the ribbon, an 880 is incuse, and was also hand-punched into the coin&#39;s surface. Each edge section of this octagonal piece has individual lettering as follows: AUGUSTUS / HUMBERT / UNITED / STATES / ASSAYER / OF GOLD / CALIFORNIA / 1851. This is perhaps the only United States coinage issue with its date on the edge. This particular 880 THOUS piece is distinguished by a plain-center swirl of the engine turned reverse and is the most popularly collected style of Letter Edge &#36;50 slug.

HANDSOME AND IMPRESSIVE 1851 LETTERED EDGE &#36;50 SLUG <b>&#40;PCGS # 10205&#41;</b>

Our item number 121012