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

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 Gold
<Our item number 134955><B>1855 Wass, Molitor & Co &#40;San Francisco&#41; &#36;50 Gold. NGC graded AU-53.</B> Untoned with the normal amount of light ot moderate bag marks. Upon arriving in California the partners of this firm operated a private mint and assay office that struck &#36;10, &#36;20, and &#36;50 gold pieces. The &#36;50 pieces follow closely the theme on the Federal &#36;20 gold Liberty coins of the day; as a &#36;50 denomination in a time of dire need for a circulating medium, the coins were acceptable to the populace. As the only round &#36;50 gold pieces issued in California, they found acceptance elsewhere and circulated in other regions of the Western United States. Evidently, their round shape &#40;and the availability of lower denominations from the same firm&#41; made them as acceptable as the &#36;50 slugs of Humbert and the U. S. Assay Office. The Alta California reported that &#36;38,000 of these fifties and twenties were produced in a day.<BR><BR>This nicely balanced AU53 example shows clear striking details on the date and stars plus the legends of the reverse. There is a little luster left, and smooth and mostly mark-free look covering the entire surface including Liberty&#39;s cheek contour. We do note a few nicks in the field before the face. Liberty herself proudly displays full sharp hair and a nicely curved, if slightly rounded coronet edge. The reverse has typical, but again small, circulation abrasion from the time it spent as a method of payment. Unlike other &#36;50 gold coins by Wass, Molitor, this piece lacks heavy cuts on the rims. The reverse takes over from where the obverse left off in being not only sharp throughout &#40;including the wreath&#41; but also, attractive enough that bidders will want to own it in a heartbeat! The coin is housed in NGC holder 1921836-005 and will likely prove to be one of the Star Attractions in its new home. <B>Pop 3; 14 finer.</B> <B>&#40;PCGS # 10363&#41;</B>. <BR>Estimated Value &#36;70,000 - 80,000. <BR><BR>Our i tem number 134955<BR><IMAGES><P ALIGN="CENTER"><IMG SRC="http://www.goldbergcoins.net/liveauction/47jpegs/134955.jpg"> <BR><IMG SRC="http://www.goldbergcoins.net/liveauction/47jpegs/134955N2.jpg"> <BR><IMG SRC="http://www.goldbergcoins.net/liveauction/47jpegs/134955N3.jpg"> <BR><IMG SRC="http://www.goldbergcoins.net/liveauction/47jpegs/134955N4.jpg"> </P></IMAGES>