1861 Clark, Gruber & Co. Five Dollar

Coin Details

Auction Record

$63,250 MS62 01-05-2006 Heritage Auctions

Description

The 1861 Clark, Gruber & Company Half Eagle features the firm's second-year design, which replaced the Pikes Peak imagery of 1860 with a Liberty head obverse more closely aligned with federal coinage conventions. This transition reflected the growing commercial sophistication of Denver City and the mining districts. The 1861 half eagle continued to serve as the primary circulating denomination for the Colorado gold region. By this year, Denver had grown from a crude mining camp into a functioning commercial center with permanent buildings and regular supply routes to the East. The final year of Clark Gruber production proved to be their most productive, as the firm struck coins in all four denominations while simultaneously negotiating the sale of their operation to the federal government.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. The most available 1861 Clark Gruber denomination. Estimated 35-55 surviving examples. Auction prices range from $6,000 to $25,000.

Cross References

Kagin K-6; NGC #31187