1852 $10 California Gold Eagle - Augustus Humbert K-10b PCGS AU58

ONLY FOUR (4) COINS ARE TRACED AT THIS TIME! It is likely this coin was struck in one day and one day alone.

ONLY THREE (3) ARE CERTIFIED by PCGS. None at NGC.

https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1852-10-k-10b-humbert-california-left/594969

THIS IS THE FINEST CERTIFIED. There is an About Uncirculated-50 certified and an Extremely Fine-40 with a provenance from the SS Central America), and we also know of an impaired VF coin that last appeared for sale in an ANACS holder.

This is a really RARE transitional variety of the 1852 $10 Humbert gold piece. Augustus Humbert originally produced the dies for the regular issue eagle - struck from the gold brought in from the hills surrounding sacramento and beyond - In late 1851 but didn't receive authorization from the federal government to strike the coins until early 1852. Instead of creating a new obverse die the "2" was engraved over the "1" but trouble soon came thereafter. The 1852/1 coins were struck for only four days, from February 11, 1852 through February 14, 1852, when the reverse die broke. At the same time the Moffat company, which struck the coins, was dissolved.

A new reverse die was created using the first obverse die, as presented here. This combination could not have been struck for more than a day as only four specimens are traced, of which this is the Finest Known. This variety is distinguished from the others the reverse word CALIFORNIA placement on the die. It is remarkably different than the 1852 (K-10) and 1852/1 (K-8). The entire word is shifted to the left. Please see the images provided for this coin offering.

Also, there is significant differences by noting the placement of the letter "N" in the word "UNITED" and it's relationship to the "O" in the word "OFFICE" below it on the reverse. This placement is quite similar on the 1852/1 but on the later 1852 regular issue (K-10) the "N" and the "O" line up nearly perfectly so as to vertically spell out the word "NO." For the K-10b, there is a dramatic difference in the placement of these letters providing us with a separate and distinct third variety of the 1852 Humbert $10.

We find this issue to be completely undervalued, even by specialists in the field (largely because most have never even seen one) and a true cornerstone to an advanced collection of Pioneer gold. To-date, only four coins of this variety have been traced, this being the Finest Known. The "K-10b" variety is unlisted in the classic Kagin pioneer gold reference, although the variety is photographed in Breen's 1988 Encyclopedia under his #7713.