1852 Liberty Head Half Eagle - Wass, Molitor & Co. Large Head

Coin Details

Auction Record

$90,000 MS60 01-16-2022 Heritage Auctions

Description

The 1852 Wass, Molitor & Company five-dollar gold piece with the Large Head variety is among the first coins produced by this Hungarian-immigrant partnership in San Francisco. Count Samuel C. Wass and Agoston P. Molitor brought European metallurgical expertise to California’s gold frontier, establishing a refining and coining operation that produced some of the most artistically distinctive territorial gold coins. The Large Head variety features a prominent Liberty Head portrait on the obverse that occupies more of the die field than the companion Small Head version. The reverse displays a heraldic eagle with the WASS, MOLITOR & CO. inscription and SAN FRANCISCO designation. The European-influenced design sensibility is evident in the refined execution of the Liberty portrait. Wass and Molitor’s Hungarian background brought a distinctly Continental aesthetic to California frontier coinage. Their coins exhibit a level of artistic sophistication that reflects training in the traditions of European coiners and medalists, setting their products apart from the more utilitarian designs of competing California private mints.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. The Large Head variety is more available than the Small Head. Approximately 100-150 examples survive.

Cross References

PCGS #10342; NGC #31144; Wass, Molitor & Co., San Francisco; Large Head variety