1855 California Gold $50 - 1855' $50 Kellogg, Comm Restrike S.S. Central America

Coin Details

Auction Record

$11,500 MS69 07-30-2008 Heritage Auctions

Description

The 1855 Kellogg & Company fifty-dollar gold piece is one of the most celebrated coins in all of American numismatics. This commercial restrike was produced using original Kellogg dies recovered from the wreck of the S.S. Central America, which sank in a hurricane off the Carolina coast in September 1857 carrying an enormous cargo of California gold. The S.S. Central America was salvaged in the 1980s and 1990s, yielding not only tons of gold bars and coins but also original Kellogg die equipment. Using these authentic dies, a limited number of restrikes were produced to exacting standards, creating what amounts to new original Kellogg fifty-dollar pieces struck from the same dies that produced the legendary originals. The commercial restrike program was carefully managed and the resulting coins are clearly identified as restrikes. They provide collectors an opportunity to own pieces struck from original Kellogg dies at a fraction of the cost of surviving originals, while also documenting the remarkable preservation of die equipment on the ocean floor for over a century.

Rarity Notes

The commercial restrikes from S.S. Central America dies were produced in limited quantities and are collected as significant numismatic items in their own right.

Cross References

K-2 restrike (Kagin); PCGS #10235; NGC #16943; Kellogg & Co.; S.S. Central America recovery; commercial restrike