1855 California Gold $50 - $50 Wass, Molitor & Co.

Coin Details

Auction Record

$411,250 MS63 04-23-2014 Heritage Auctions

Description

The 1855 Wass, Molitor & Company fifty-dollar gold piece is among the most spectacular of all California territorial gold coins. After their initial 1852 production run of five and ten dollar pieces, Wass and Molitor resumed operations in 1855 with an expanded range that included ten, twenty, and fifty dollar denominations. The fifty-dollar piece is a massive coin rivaling the Humbert slugs in size and gold content, though produced in the conventional round format rather than octagonal. The design features the firm’s distinctive European-influenced artistic style, with an imposing Liberty Head obverse and heraldic eagle reverse bearing the WASS, MOLITOR & CO. inscription. The Wass, Molitor fifty-dollar piece stands alongside the Kellogg fifty and the Humbert slug as one of three great fifty-dollar gold denominations in California territorial coinage. Each represents a different issuer and design philosophy, making the trio a cornerstone of any comprehensive territorial gold collection.

Rarity Notes

Very rare. The Wass, Molitor 0 is among the most sought-after large-denomination territorial gold coins. Approximately 20-35 examples survive.

Cross References

PCGS #10363; NGC #31158; Wass, Molitor & Co., San Francisco; 0 denomination