1853 G50C BG-301 Eagle AU55 Certification #-26536, PCGS #10416

Charles Morgan

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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