2788

1855 Wass, Molitor & Co. (San Francisco) $50 Gol

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:35,000.00 USD Estimated At:70,000.00 - 80,000.00 USD
1855 Wass, Molitor & Co. (San Francisco) $50 Gol
<Our item number 127819><B>1855 Wass, Molitor & Co &#40;San Francisco&#41; &#36;50 Gold. NGC graded AU-53.</B> NGC holder 1921836-005. Normal small light marks in the fields. An historic and nicely preserved &#36;50 gold piece whose rare beauty comes with fully defined design features plus a strict limitation on surface marks. What&#39;s more, the rims are choicer than average for this often bunged-about Type, wherein use in circulation tended to damage the soft rim areas. While the octagonal fifties from the Assay Office get much of the news coverage in the American numismatic press, that is only because they are seen ten times as often as a Wass &#36;50 piece.<BR><BR>The firm of Wass, Molitor & Company was comprised of Samuel Wass and Agoston Molitor, who operated their well-respected private mint in the Bay area from 1852. Their first deliveries consisted of five- and ten-dollar gold pieces for local use. They ceased minting when the San Francisco Mint opened in 1854, but resumed with production of the fam ous &#36;50 denomination round gold coins in 1855. This was at a time when the federal facility was obliged to close from time to time for lack of proper parting acids to refine gold dust with the requisite copper alloy. The fifty dollar Wass, Molitor pieces filled the void at this critical time. Reports are the Wass Molitor coinage had one of the highest intrinsic values of any of the private issues in California. Many were subsequently melted. <B>Pop 3; 13 finer, 4 in 55, 2 in 58, 3 in 60, 1 in 61, 2 in 63, 1 in 64</B> <B>&#40;PCGS # 10363&#41;</B>. <BR><BR>According to Dr. Donald Kagin, &#34;Wass, Molitor & Co. closed down their operation soon after the 1855 issues were distributed, for the 1856-1857 San Francisco Directory lists the assaying firm of Wass &#40;Karoly&#41; Usznay & Co. as operating during 1856 and 1857. Haraszthy replaced Molitor as partner in this firm, as the latter had left California for London in 1856.&#34; Dr. Kagin&#39;s book &#34;Private Gold Coins and Patter ns of the United States,&#34; gives an exciting account of the Territorial issues, including a full description of the Wass, Molitor company. <BR>Estimated Value &#36;70,000 - 80,000. <BR><BR>Our item number 127819<BR><IMAGES><P ALIGN="CENTER"><IMG SRC="http://www.goldbergcoins.net/liveauction/44jpegs/127819.jpg"> <BR><IMG SRC="http://www.goldbergcoins.net/liveauction/44jpegs/127819N2.jpg"> <BR><IMG SRC="http://www.goldbergcoins.net/liveauction/44jpegs/127819N3.jpg"> <BR><IMG SRC="http://www.goldbergcoins.net/liveauction/44jpegs/127819N4.jpg"> </P></IMAGES>