1911 Alaska Gold Half Dollar Token - X-Tn22

Coin Details

Auction Record

$320 UNC Details 02-23-2018 eBay

Description

The 1911 Alaska Gold half dollar, cataloged as X-Tn22, is one of the later issues in the Alaska territorial token series, produced well after the initial Gold Rush impetus that created the earliest Alaska gold tokens. By 1911, Alaska was an organized territory with a delegate to Congress, and the population had stabilized after the boom-and-bust cycles of the gold rush era. The X-Tn22 half-dollar denomination represents a substantial value among Alaska tokens, equivalent to a meaningful sum in the territorial economy. The high catalog number (X-Tn22 compared to the single-digit numbers of earlier issues) indicates this piece was identified and classified later in the systematic cataloging of territorial tokens, reflecting its place among the extended family of Alaska private monetary issues. Alaska's gold mining industry in 1911 was concentrated around Fairbanks, Nome, and the Iditarod district, with industrial-scale operations replacing the individual prospectors of the rush era. The territorial economy was diversifying into fishing, fur trading, and copper mining, but gold remained the defining industry. Territorial tokens from this period serve as artifacts of Alaska's transition from frontier territory to a more established, if still remote, American possession. The 1911 date is relatively late for the Alaska token series, and pieces from this period are less frequently encountered than the 1897-1900 core issues.

Rarity Notes

Rare. Late-period Alaska gold tokens from 1911 are scarce. Approximately 15-25 examples survive. The series was winding down by this date, and production quantities were modest.

Cross References

PCGS #599976; HK X-Tn22 (Alaska Territorial Token)