1849 California Gold - Pacific Co Si Uniface

Coin Details

Auction Record

$57,500 Net F12 06-22-2000 Bowers & Merena

Description

This silver uniface piece attributed to the Pacific Company is among the most unusual and debated items associated with this enigmatic California Gold Rush minter. Uniface indicates the piece bears a design on only one side, with the opposite side blank or showing only the impression of the striking surface. Uniface strikings typically result from test impressions where a single die is used without a corresponding die for the other side, making them production artifacts rather than finished coins. The use of silver rather than gold or copper further distinguishes this piece from the Pacific Company's standard products. Silver was not a common medium for California territorial issues as the region's economy was built on gold. A silver uniface striking represents either an experimental piece produced during die development, a collector-oriented item produced at a later date, or an intermediate step in a complex production process. The Pacific Company's full story may never be completely recovered from the fragmentary historical record, but pieces like this silver uniface contribute important data points to the ongoing investigation. Uniface pieces are particularly valued by die variety specialists, as they provide unusually clear impressions of individual dies uncompromised by the interaction with an opposing die during normal bilateral striking.

Rarity Notes

Extremely rare. Uniface silver specimens from the Pacific Company are virtually unique. Provenance documentation is particularly important.

Cross References

Kagin reference series. Pacific Company silver uniface.