1849 Templeton Reid Twenty Five Dollar Gold Piece

Coin Details

Description

The 1849 Templeton Reid Twenty Five Dollar Gold Piece is one of the most remarkable coins in American numismatics — a unique territorial gold coin with a face value of twenty-five dollars, the highest denomination ever produced by a private American mint. Struck by Templeton Reid during the California Gold Rush, this massive gold piece features "CALIFORNIA GOLD" with the date 1849 on the obverse and "TWENTY FIVE DOLS." with "TEMPLETON REID / ASSAYER" on the reverse. The twenty-five dollar denomination was unprecedented in American coinage and reflected the extraordinary abundance of gold in California. While the federal government’s highest gold denomination was the ten dollar eagle (the double eagle would not be authorized until 1849-1850), private minters in California experimented with higher face values to facilitate large transactions in the gold fields. Reid’s twenty-five dollar piece stands as the boldest expression of this trend. Only a single specimen of this coin was ever documented, and it was stolen from the United States Mint Cabinet Collection on August 16, 1858. Despite extensive searching and a long-standing PCGS reward of $10,000 for its recovery, the coin has never been found. Some numismatic historians theorize it was melted for its bullion content shortly after the theft. The mystery of the missing Reid $25 remains one of the great unsolved puzzles in American numismatics. Combined with the unique 1849 $10 piece held at the Smithsonian, Reid’s California issues demonstrate that he remained committed to private gold coinage from the Georgia Gold Rush through the California Gold Rush, a span of nearly two decades.

Rarity Notes

Unique — only 1 specimen ever documented, stolen from U.S. Mint Cabinet Collection on August 16, 1858, and never recovered. PCGS offers $10,000 reward for its rediscovery. Highest denomination ($25) ever produced by an American private mint.

Cross References

PCGS #10335; NGC #31011