299

Period Three "1854" octagonal ½ Dollar, BG-1309, High Rarity 7

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:150.00 USD Estimated At:300.00 - 500.00 USD
Period Three  1854  octagonal ½ Dollar, BG-1309, High Rarity 7
Preview
Holabird-Kagin Americana Office
3555 Airway Drive Suite#309
Reno, NV 89511
Thursday April 11, 10am-6pm
* Preview also available by appointment

Live Auction
Friday & Saturday
April 12-13, 2012
9am PDT starting time, both days

Location
Atlantis Casino & Resort
Grand Ballroom #4
3800 S. Virginia Street
Reno, NV 89502

Lot Pick Up
Holabird-Kagin Americana Office
3555 Airway Drive Suite #309
Reno, NV 89511
Sunday April 14th, 10am-1pm

c1854 Issued by "Unknown Maker I," who made a series of extremely rare octagonal halves, all represented in the Totheroh Collection. This is the first opportunity to obtain the complete set since the Jay Roe sale almost 10 years ago. Jack Totheroh sought these out because he thought that they might be experimental issues of Period One and not antedated fantasies of Period Three. This cataloger disagrees, but would now assign a date to the first half of the 20th century rather than "1950s?" as given in second edition of California Pioneer Fractional Gold, because the earliest known appearance is in the 1955 Burnie catalog; Burnie obtained virtually all of his stock in 1953 from Blue Island, Illinois, car salesman J. Donald (Don) Schroth, who advertised to buy small California gold in The Numismatic Scrapbook from September 1951 through October 1952. While it is not known when Don Schroth began collecting small California gold, it is probable that these pieces were not brand new in the early 1950s.

Close copy of BG-305 (Lots 185-186), but coronet taller and narrower, tall 8, 4 no larger than 5; crude sans-serif letters on reverse, final A in CALIFORNIA straddles 2 beads, crack through R in CALIFORNIA to bead, vertical crack from bottom rim up to 1st L in DOLLAR. Extremely Rare; only 5 examples listed in Breen-Gillio, multiple sales of the same coin apparently included; none reported since. Plate Coin, second edition, Breen-Gillio, California Pioneer Fractional Gold. Uncirculated (but has polished appearance), reddish toning. Holdered by PCGS but uncertified and ungraded, labeled as "Kroll" (which it is not) BG-1309. Ex Bowers and Merena Jay Roe 9/14/2003, Lot 598, ex Jay Roe Collection, ex Stack`s sale 5/13/1982, Lot 926. Totheroh Collection HKA#63661