1849 Twenty Five Dollar Die Trial - Templeton Reid, White Metal, Holed

Coin Details

Auction Record

Description

This white metal die trial, pierced with a hole at the top, preserves the design of Templeton Reid's 1849 twenty-five dollar gold piece. Templeton Reid, a Georgia jeweler and gunsmith, struck private gold coins in Georgia in 1830. His 1849 pieces are marked CALIFORNIA GOLD, but CoinWeek notes that experts doubt he travelled west, being nearly 60 and in poor health, and favour the view that California gold reached him in Georgia. The obverse bears the inscription "TEMPLETON REID ASSAYER OF GOLD CALIFORNIA" around a central design, while the reverse displays "TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS" with additional inscriptions. No gold example is known today: the only one recorded was stolen from the Mint Cabinet on August 16, 1858 and has never been recovered. This white metal die trial — struck in a soft lead-tin alloy rather than gold — served as a test impression to verify the dies before gold production. The hole at the top indicates this piece was worn as a pendant or strung for display, a common practice in the 19th century for unusual numismatic items. White metal captured the full detail of Reid's dies under low striking pressure, providing a clear record of the engraving.

Cross References

Templeton Reid; California Gold Rush territorial coinage