1849 $5 California Gold Half Eagle - Moffat & Co. NGC VF25
SOLD
SKU
1867843013
It is not possible to determine the number of half eagles that Moffat & Co. produced dated 1849, for many of them were melted down to provide bullion for the new San Francisco mint in 1854, but we do know that 128 have been graded by NGC. From those, only 24 were graded VF (as of 5/2021). This is an excellent opportunity for collectors to acquire a relatively affordable example of an extremely rare artifact of the important early period of the California Gold Rush. For example, a piece graded NGC AU58 was auctioned by Heritage in February of 2021 and realized $8,100.00. Just imagine owning this piece, struck from gold from the early days of the California Gold Rush. Wouldn't that be amazing?
1849 $5 California Gold Half Eagle - Moffat & Co. NGC VF25
It gives us at AUCM pleasure to present an example from the early days of the California Gold Rush: an 1849 $5 Moffat & Co. half eagle graded NGC VF25. In uncirculated grades, this is quite a pricy issue. However, in the circulated grade of VF25, it is relatively affordable for the collector who wants an important relic from the early days of the California Gold Rush. This piece would be perfect in a set of circulated U.S. Territorial Gold coinage. It would also be a great single specimen from that famous and exciting time of our history.
Moffat & Co. was considered the most important private gold firm during the California Gold Rush. When the U.S. government decided to open the branch mint in San Francisco, they asked two of the firm's partners for assistance. The senior founder, John Little Moffat, had much experience in gold mining and production, having worked in the gold fields of Georgia and North Carolina and as an assayer before heading to California to make his fortune. When in California, Moffat and partners started an assaying and smelting business. Since they had testimonials from people such as the Secretary of the Treasury, Moffat & Co. hit the ground running upon arriving in California. They initially produced rectangular gold ingots that, while impractical, provided desperately needed coinage. Soon after setting up their shop, they engaged the services of die sinker Albrecht Ferdinand Kuner, who later engraved California's State Seal. Kuner modeled his work upon the federal Coronet gold coins of the period. While they were not the first private issues during the Gold Rush, they were considered to be of such premium quality that they sealed Moffat & Co.'s reputation as the leading private mint of the Gold Rush period. Kuner's half eagles were produced from the fall of 1849 until early 1850.
| PCGS # | 10240 |
|---|---|
| Grading Service | NONE |
| Year of Issue | NONE |
| Grade | NONE |
| Denom Type | N/A |
| Numeric Denomination | $5 |
| Mint Location | NONE |
| Designation | NONE |
| Circ/UnCirc | Not Specified |
| Strike Type | N/A |
| Grade Add On | NONE |
| Holder Type | N/A |
