1852 California Gold $50 - "887" $50 RE Augustus Humbert

Coin Details

Auction Record

$276,125 MS62 09-15-2017 Kagin's

Description

The 1852-dated Humbert fifty-dollar slug with 887 fineness and reeded edge represents the final year of production for the iconic octagonal format. By 1852, the assay office was transitioning toward conventional round denominations, and production of the massive fifty-dollar pieces was winding down. The design remains consistent with the 1851 issues: the heraldic eagle obverse with Humbert’s full title and the engine-turned reverse with 887 THOUS. Fineness marking. The date change to 1852 is the primary distinguishing feature from the prior year’s production. The 1852 fifty-dollar slug holds particular historical significance as the swan song of the largest denomination gold pieces in American numismatic history. No other issuer, public or private, would again produce a fifty-dollar gold coin until the Panama-Pacific commemorative issues of 1915, more than six decades later.

Rarity Notes

Very rare. The 1852 dated fifty-dollar slug is scarcer than most 1851 varieties. Approximately 20-40 examples survive.

Cross References

K-13 (Kagin); PCGS #10217; NGC #31087; Augustus Humbert, U.S. Assay Office, San Francisco; final year of octagonal 0