1855 Gold Half Dollar - BG-309

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,763 MS63 04-12-2013 Holabird-Kagin Americana

Description

The 1855 California Fractional Gold Half Dollar (BG-309) is a tiny octagonal gold coin, measuring approximately 13 to 14 millimeters in diameter and representing a 50 cents denomination in the California fractional gold series. The first period of California fractional gold production (1852–1858) saw dozens of San Francisco jewelers and coiners manufacturing these miniature gold coins to fill the vacuum left by the virtual absence of federal small-denomination coinage on the Pacific Coast. The obverse carries a small but detailed portrait of Liberty, the workhorse design of the California fractional gold series. Dozens of different Liberty Head dies were used across the many die varieties cataloged by Breen-Gillio, each with subtle differences in hair arrangement, coronet style, and portrait positioning. The reverse shows the denomination and related inscriptions. 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. The first period of California fractional gold production coincided with the most dramatic years of the Gold Rush, when San Francisco transformed almost overnight from a small settlement into a booming city. The demand for small coinage was acute: merchants, saloon-keepers, and ordinary citizens all needed denomination pieces below the large gold coins and gold dust that dominated the economy. Private coiners responded with these tiny gold pieces, which circulated alongside Mexican reales, foreign silver, and the occasional federal coin that found its way westward.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. Period One California fractional gold pieces (1852–1858) are generally rarer than later Period Two issues, as they were produced in smaller quantities for actual circulation rather than the souvenir trade.

Cross References

BG-309; Breen-Gillio catalog; PCGS #10429; NGC #501309; California Fractional Gold Half Dollar; Octagonal; Period One (1852–1858)