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

Coin Details

Auction Record

$38,400 VF25 11-26-2024 Stack's Bowers

Description

This white metal die trial, pierced with a hole at the top, preserves the dies of Templeton Reid's legendary twenty-five dollar gold piece — one of the most celebrated and rarest coins in all of American numismatics. Templeton Reid was among the earliest private coiners in American history, first striking gold coins in Lumpkin County, Georgia, during the 1830 Georgia Gold Rush, and then relocating to San Francisco in 1849 to coin California gold. His $25 piece was the highest denomination he attempted and one of the largest private gold coins produced during the Gold Rush. 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. Only a tiny number of Reid's $25 gold pieces are known to survive in any metal, and they rank among the most valuable coins in the world when they appear at auction. 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. For collectors, this die trial offers a tangible connection to one of the most storied names in American frontier coinage, a man whose products were so scarce that they were already legendary within a generation of their production.

Rarity Notes

Extremely rare, unique. White metal die trials of the Templeton Reid $25 are among the most significant territorial numismatic artifacts; the gold originals are counted among the greatest American coin rarities, with only a handful of confirmed specimens.

Cross References

Templeton Reid; California Gold Rush territorial coinage