1876/5 Gold Half Dollar - BG-1059

Coin Details

Auction Record

$2,990 MS66 01-03-2012 Heritage Auctions

Description

This round California gold half dollar, designated BG-1059 in the Breen-Gillio catalog, dates to 1876 and measures approximately 13 to 14 millimeters in diameter. The second period of California fractional gold production saw these coins transition from pure monetary instruments to items valued equally by tourists, collectors, and jewelers who fashioned them into ornamental pieces. The obverse features a Liberty Head design — a portrait of Liberty wearing a coronet or wreath — which is the most prevalent motif across the California fractional gold series. The reverse displays the denomination within a wreath or decorative border. 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. This variety displays an overdate (1876/5), where a new date was punched over an earlier date already present in the die. Overdates in the California fractional gold series provide evidence of die reuse — a practical economy measure by the private coiners who manufactured these pieces. The traces of the underlying date are typically visible upon close examination, and overdate varieties are sought by specialists for the insight they provide into production practices.

Rarity Notes

Available in the California fractional gold market. Period Two pieces are the most frequently encountered fractional gold issues, though condition and specific variety affect value significantly. The 1876/5 overdate is a collected variety that typically brings a premium over non-overdate issues of the same year and denomination.

Cross References

BG-1059; Breen-Gillio catalog; PCGS #10888; NGC #502059; California Fractional Gold Half Dollar; Round; Period Two (1859–1882)