1853 G50C BG-301 Eagle (Regular Strike)
Series: California Fractional Gold
PCGS MS62
- PCGS #:
- 10416
- Designer:
- N/A
- Edge:
- N/A
- Diameter:
- N/A
- Weight:
- N/A
- Mintage:
- N/A
- Mint:
- Philadelphia
- Metal:
- Other
- Auction Record:
- $42,000 • MS66 • 01-24-2021 • Heritage Auctions
Major Varieties
- 1853 G50C BG-301 Eagle
Rarity and Survival Estimates Learn More
| Survival Estimate | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 12 |
| 60 or Better | 5 |
| 65 or Better | |
| Numismatic Rarity | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | R-9.5 |
| 60 or Better | R-9.7 |
| 65 or Better | R-10.1 |
| Relative Rarity By Type All Specs in this Type | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 130 / 580 TIE |
| 60 or Better | 86 / 580 TIE |
| 65 or Better | 1 / 580 |
| Relative Rarity By Series All Specs in this Series | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 130 / 580 TIE |
| 60 or Better | 86 / 580 TIE |
| 65 or Better | 1 / 580 |
Condition Census What Is This?
|
#1 PCGS MS62
William C. O'Connor. As PCGS MS62 #42471907. David McCarthy. The O'Connor Collection was put away in the 1970s and not graded until May 2021. Coin exhibits two shades of gold with blue highlights. A series of diagonal marks extend into the field from the upper left border. |
|
#1 PCGS MS62
As PCGS MS62 #09654615. Kagin's, March 2017, Lot 1711 - $41,125; JC Wang; "The Wang Family Collection" (PCGS Set Registry). |
| #3 PCGS MS61 |
|
#4 PCGS MS60
Stack's Bowers, August 2012, Lot 11815 - $28,200. Old Green Holder. This specimen exhibits darker patination within the protected areas of the devices and along the star borders. A localized area of planchet roughness is noted in the lower-right obverse field. A minor pin scratch extends from the eagle's tail to the right ribbon segment. |
|
#5 PCGS AU58
"The WRC Collection" (PCGS Set Registry). |
|
#5 PCGS AU58
"The Robert H. Lande Collection" (PCGS Set Registry). |
|
#5 Est. GENUINE
As "Uncirculated." "The Kenneth Lee Collection," Superior Galleries, September 27, 988, Lot 550 - $3,960. As PCGS Genuine, AU Details #26703310. "The Jack Totheroh Collection," Holabird-Kagin Americana, April 2013, Lot 178 - $19,975. As PCGS AU58 #25654790. David Sunshine; unknown intermediaries. As NGC MS66 #5743943-003. Heritage Auctions, January 21, 2021, Lot 4150 - $42,000. |
1853 Gold 50 Cents, Humbert Eage, BG-301
The 1853 BG-301 (#10416) is a gold 50-cent coin struck in San Francisco and attributed to Frontier, Deviercy & Co. Pierre Frontier and Eugene Deviercy were French jewelers who immigrated to San Francisco to capitalize on the gold boom. They formed their partnership around 1853, one year before the San Francisco Mint opened. The coins issued by the partners were typically marked "F.D." and struck in denominations of 25 cents, 50 cents, and one dollar.
As was common with private gold producers of the California Gold Rush era, the firm’s designs mimicked federal coinage. In the case of the BG-301, the obverse features a depiction of Liberty surrounded by 13 stars, with "F.D." appearing beneath the bust. The reverse mimics the "Eagle" design found on larger $5 and $10 coins rather than the Humbert $50 slug, though it is denominated as "FIFTY CENTS."
It is believed that California Fractional Gold issues of this period circulated in San Francisco due to the acute lack of minor coinage. In later years, these diminutive gold pieces were likely issued as souvenirs or jewelry. Many of the earlier issues were later melted down, but specimens have been recovered from famous shipwrecks—such as the SS Winfield Scott, confirming their active use in commerce.
The BG-301 is quite rare with less than a dozen known examples. The two finest known are held in the personal collections of coin dealer David McCarthy and collector J.C. Wang.
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