1855 Kellogg & Co. Gold Double Eagle

Coin Details

Auction Record

$33,600 MS62 01-03-2018 Heritage Auctions

Description

The 1855 Kellogg & Company twenty-dollar gold piece represents the second and final year of production for this partnership between John G. Kellogg and Augustus Humbert. The 1855 double eagle maintained the high design and production standards established with the 1854 issue, with Albert Kuner’s dies continuing to produce some of the most attractive territorial gold coins. By 1855, the San Francisco Mint was operational but had not yet reached the production capacity needed to meet California’s enormous demand for coined money. This gap allowed Kellogg & Company to continue producing their well-regarded twenty-dollar pieces, which circulated alongside newly minted federal double eagles. The 1855 Kellogg double eagle is the final standard-denomination business strike gold coin produced by any California private minter, marking the end of an era that began with Moffat’s first coins in 1849. With the San Francisco Mint now fully operational, the need for private coinage had finally been eliminated.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. The 1855 Kellogg 0 is slightly scarcer than the 1854 issue. Approximately 150-250 examples survive, mostly in circulated grades.

Cross References

K-1a (Kagin); PCGS #10225; NGC #31019; Kellogg & Co., San Francisco; final year of production