1861 Parsons Two-and-a-Half Dollar Die Trial - K-1b, Brass

Coin Details

Auction Record

$11,000 AU 05-05-1998 Stack's

Description

This brass die trial was struck from the dies of John Parsons & Company, a Colorado territorial assayer and goldsmith who produced a small quantity of gold coins in the early 1860s. Parsons operated in the mining districts of Colorado Territory during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush, serving the need for coined money in a region far from any government mint. His gold coins, primarily in the $2.50 (quarter eagle) and $5 (half eagle) denominations, are among the rarest of all territorial gold issues. The Kagin-1b designation identifies this as a brass striking from the quarter eagle dies — a die trial in an inexpensive alloy that allowed Parsons to test his dies before committing gold. The brass composition gives the coin a golden appearance while using base metal, making it both a practical die test and potentially a demonstration piece. Very little is known about Parsons's biographical details compared to his more prominent contemporaries like Clark, Gruber & Company, but his coins are evidence of a small-scale, independent assaying and coining operation serving local miners. Parsons quarter eagles in gold are legendary rarities, and die trials in any metal from his dies are virtually unheard of.

Rarity Notes

Extremely rare. Brass die trials from Parsons are essentially unique; his gold coins are themselves among the rarest of all territorial issues, with fewer than ten examples known across all denominations.

Cross References

Kagin-1b