1849 Massachusetts & California Co. Brass Restrike Gold Eagle

Coin Details

Auction Record

$70,500 MS61 08-01-2017 Stack's Bowers

Description

This brass restrike of the Massachusetts & California Company gold eagle reproduces a ten-dollar denomination design in a copper-zinc alloy. The existence of an eagle denomination in the M&C series is itself noteworthy, as the firm is primarily associated with its five-dollar half eagle production. The ten-dollar design may represent either a genuine but extremely rare production denomination or a design that was prepared but saw minimal gold production. Brass was a popular medium for restrikes and fantasy pieces throughout the nineteenth century, as its golden color provided an aesthetically pleasing approximation of gold coinage at negligible material cost. The brass restrike preserves the die designs of the M&C eagle, featuring the company's distinctive obverse and reverse motifs adapted for the larger ten-dollar module. The Massachusetts & California Company's actual gold production almost certainly focused on the five-dollar denomination, which was the most practical size for everyday commerce. Whether genuine gold eagles were ever struck in meaningful quantities remains undocumented. The brass restrike therefore serves an important documentary function by preserving a design that may exist in gold in only the most minute quantities.

Rarity Notes

Rare. Brass restrikes of the M&C eagle design are scarce collectibles in their own right.

Cross References

K-6a (Kagin). Massachusetts & California Co. $10 brass restrike.