Half Dollar Round, Period 2 (BG-1000 to BG-1099)

About This Coin

This group holds the round gold half dollars of Breen and Gillio's second period, numbered from BG-1001. Breen and Gillio's second period (1858 to 1882 in their second edition, 1859 to 1882 in the first) holds the pieces jewelers made mostly as souvenirs and charms; the act of June 8, 1864 made private coinage unlawful, and Secret Service seizures had ended the trade by 1883. Liberty head and Indian head obverses both occur; pieces in this range dated 1852 were made in the later period, BG-1078 and BG-1079 carry no date, and the 1864 dies of BG-1015 and BG-1016 were also tried in silver and copper. Maker's marks identify some issuers: G for Robert B. Gray & Co. (BG-1017, BG-1018, BG-1021, BG-1027) and H for Hershfield & Mitchell of Leavenworth, Kansas (BG-1041 to BG-1046). No record gives the number struck of any of them.