View All Dollar Octagonal, Period 1 (BG-501 to BG-534)

1855 Gold Dollar - BG-533

Strike Type
1855 Territorial coin

Coin Details

Year
1855
Denomination
Territorial
Strike Type
Regular Strike
Series
California Fractional Gold (1852-1882)
Designer
Nouizillet & Routhier
Composition
Gold
Edge
Reeded

Auction Record

Price realized
$6,325
Sold
Grade
MS66
Auction house
Heritage Auctions

Description

This octagonal California gold dollar, dated 1855, is BG-533 in the Breen-Gillio catalogue of California fractional gold and belongs to Period One (1852-1857). Period One pieces were struck privately in San Francisco from 1852 to 1857 to stand in for small change, which was short in Gold Rush California; most of them weigh well under the gold value of their face (Locke 2013). Their eight-sided shape is that of the octagonal fifty-dollar pieces of the United States Assay Office, a likeness one miner pointed out in an 1854 letter (Chandler). A wreath reverse with the initials N.R. around 1 DOLLAR 1855. Locke notes that silver pieces on thick planchets exist and doubts that the variety belongs to Period One. Catalogue number: BG-533 (Breen-Gillio). PCGS number 10510.

Rarity Notes

R-4 (Breen-Gillio 2nd ed., as tabulated by Locke 2013)

Cross References

BG-533

External References

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