1855/4 Gold Quarter - BG-106

Coin Details

Auction Record

$2,300 MS66 10-13-2011 Heritage Auctions

Description

Cataloged as BG-106 in the Breen-Gillio reference, this 1855 octagonal California gold quarter dollar measures approximately 10 to 11 millimeters in diameter — smaller than a modern dime. Produced during the early California Gold Rush era, this diminutive coin served as genuine small-denomination money in San Francisco and the surrounding mining regions, where the scarcity of federal small coinage created strong demand for locally produced gold pieces. This piece displays the characteristic Liberty Head obverse typical of its Breen-Gillio catalog group, with the denomination indicated on the reverse. The die engraving on California fractional gold pieces, while necessarily simplified by the small planchet size, often exhibits surprising detail and craftsmanship given the constraints of the medium. The octagonal format of this piece departs from the conventional circular planchet shape familiar from regular federal coinage, creating a distinctive eight-sided coin at a dramatically reduced scale. This variety displays an overdate (1855/4), where a new date was punched over an earlier date already present in the die. Overdates in the California fractional gold series provide evidence of die reuse — a practical economy measure by the private coiners who manufactured these pieces. The traces of the underlying date are typically visible upon close examination, and overdate varieties are sought by specialists for the insight they provide into production practices.

Rarity Notes

Scarce to rare. First-period California fractional gold coins survive in smaller numbers than their Period Two counterparts, reflecting lower original mintages and the attrition of circulation. The 1855/4 overdate is a collected variety that typically brings a premium over non-overdate issues of the same year and denomination.

Cross References

BG-106; Breen-Gillio catalog; PCGS #10375; NGC #501106; California Fractional Gold Quarter Dollar; Octagonal; Period One (1852–1858)