1856 Gold Quarter - BG-230

Coin Details

Auction Record

$2,000 MS65 10-21-2022 eBay

Description

Cataloged as BG-230 in the Breen-Gillio reference, this 1856 round California gold quarter dollar measures approximately 10 to 11 millimeters in diameter — smaller than a modern dime. Produced during the early California Gold Rush era, this diminutive coin served as genuine small-denomination money in San Francisco and the surrounding mining regions, where the scarcity of federal small coinage created strong demand for locally produced gold pieces. This piece displays the characteristic Liberty Head obverse typical of its Breen-Gillio catalog group, with the denomination indicated on the reverse. The die engraving on California fractional gold pieces, while necessarily simplified by the small planchet size, often exhibits surprising detail and craftsmanship given the constraints of the medium. The remarkably diminutive size is one of the distinctive hallmarks of California fractional gold coinage, making these among the smallest coins ever struck for genuine commerce and adding a novelty that has long attracted collectors. California fractional gold coins emerged from a genuine economic need during the Gold Rush of the 1850s. With the nearest federal mint (Philadelphia) thousands of miles away and no reliable supply of small-denomination coinage reaching the Pacific Coast, San Francisco jewelers and coiners stepped in to produce these tiny gold pieces. A gold quarter dollar could purchase everyday necessities in the mining camps and frontier towns of Northern California, making these coins practical instruments of daily commerce rather than mere novelties.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. As a Period One issue, this variety was struck for genuine commerce during the Gold Rush era, and fewer specimens have survived compared to the more plentiful Period Two souvenir pieces.

Cross References

BG-230; Breen-Gillio catalog; PCGS #10415; NGC #501230; California Fractional Gold Quarter Dollar; Round; Period One (1852–1858)