1853 California Fractional Gold 25C, Liberty Octagonal BG-101 PCGS MS62 R5-

R5-.

1853 Gold 25C Liberty Head Octagonal, Low Rarity-5.

• Period One - circulating issues between 1852 and 1856.
• Redbook Type: Small Liberty Head / Value & Date in Beaded Circle.
• RedBook Collectors Sequence: RB-005
• Made by Joseph Brothers.

Obverse: Narrow head; 9 crude stars.

Reverse: Beaded circle with 1-4 DOLLAR 1853 within; DOLLAR is spelled out in concave arc; right half of 8 is weak.

Previously identified in Breen-Gillio as Frontier-Deviercy.

Historical Note: Five (5) examples were recovered by divers from the S.S. Winfield Scott shipwreck. The S.S. Winfield Scott 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 remained were mainly items of small value abandoned by the passengers in their haste to evacuate the sinking ship.