BG- 531, 1853 California Gold Rush Circulating Fractional Gold $1, Liberty Octagonal PCGS MS63 R4

1853 Gold $1 Liberty Head Octagonal, initial N is on reverse. Rarity-4.

• Period One - circulating issues between 1852 and 1856.
• Redbook Type: Octagonal Dollar - Liberty Head / Value & Date in Beaded Circle.
• RedBook Collectors Sequence: RB-051
• Made by Antoine Louis Nouizillet, 1852-1854.

Obverse: 13 stars divided 6-1-6; 7th star above the point where the diadem meets the top of the hair.

Reverse:  ‘* * CALIFORNIA  * GOLD * *’ and ‘N.’ outside of circle of dots. 1 DOLLAR 1853 inside of circle. Same as BG-530.

EML 8; Burnie 12; Lee 4A; D 412’

Historical Note: Two examples were recovered by scuba divers from the Winfield Scott shipwreck. This ship was operated by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company to carry passengers and cargo between San Francisco and Panama.  On December 1, 1853, she left San Francisco bound for Panama with about 400 passengers and $884,861.50 in treasure.  Two days out she was caught in a storm and ran aground 30 miles west of Santa Barbara.  The passengers and most of the treasure were rescued.  What was left behind were mainly items of small value abandoned by the passengers in their haste to flee the ship.