1849 Double Eagle Die Trial - K-2, Cincinnati Mining & Trading, Copper

Coin Details

Description

This copper die trial was produced from the dies of the Cincinnati Mining & Trading Company, one of the private assayers who struck gold coins during the California Gold Rush of 1849. When the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in January 1848 unleashed a flood of raw gold into California, there was no government mint west of the Mississippi to convert it into coins. Private firms stepped in to fill this monetary vacuum, producing their own gold coins of various denominations. The Cincinnati Mining & Trading Company was among these enterprises, striking $5 and $10 gold pieces as well as this ambitious $20 denomination. Their coins featured distinctive designs that differed from federal coinage, and die trials in copper allowed the company to test and approve their dies before committing to costly gold planchets. This copper die trial carries the Kagin-2 reference number, part of the standard catalog system for private and territorial gold coins developed by Donald H. Kagin. Die trials from California Gold Rush private minters are exceptional rarities, as most production was focused on gold coins for commercial circulation rather than numismatic curiosities.

Rarity Notes

Extremely rare. Die trials from California Gold Rush private minters are among the rarest items in territorial numismatics, with most unique or nearly so.

Cross References

Kagin-2