(c.1930's) Token "$50" Jankovsky-132 Brass The Miner Kneeling Fifty Dollar

Coin Details

Description

This brass souvenir token, cataloged as Jankovsky-132, depicts a miner kneeling — an iconic image of the California Gold Rush prospector panning for gold or examining a nugget. Produced circa the 1930s, this fifty-dollar slug-format facsimile continues the long tradition of California gold souvenir pieces that began in the late nineteenth century. The kneeling miner motif appeared on numerous California tokens, medals, and souvenir pieces, symbolizing the individual prospector who embodied the democratic promise of the Gold Rush — that any person willing to endure hardship could strike it rich. By the 1930s, these souvenir pieces were produced primarily for collectors and tourists rather than as point-of-sale souvenirs, reflecting the maturation of California numismatic collecting as a distinct specialty.

Rarity Notes

Brass, Jankovsky-132. Miner kneeling motif. 1930s production. Standard availability for California slug souvenirs.

Cross References

PCGS #924047; Jankovsky-132; The Miner Kneeling, Brass, $50