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50 Dollars - United States Assay Office, Augustus Humbert Assay
| Issuer | United States Assay Office of Gold, San Francisco |
|---|---|
| Year | 1851-1852 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | KM#32.2, Kagin#11 |
| Obverse description | Central device depicts a perched American eagle with wings spread and head turned to the right, clutching a serpent in its beak, set upon a rocky outcropping. A banner above the eagle bears the fineness inscription '887 THOUS' in the field. The circular legend around the periphery reads 'UNITED STATES OF AMERICA' above and 'FIFTY DOLLS' below, with the date '1851' in the exergue at the bottom. The outer border carries the additional legend 'AUGUSTUS HUMBERT UNITED STATES ASSAYER OF GOLD CALIFORNIA' distributed around the octagonal rim. The design is rendered in a bold, utilitarian relief characteristic of early California assay coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse presents a plain octagonal field entirely covered with a concentric engine-turned or engine-ruled geometric pattern, consisting of fine concentric rings of diamond-shaped impressed reticulation radiating outward from the center to the raised octagonal border. This distinctive engine-turned surface serves as an anti-counterfeiting measure and is characteristic of Augustus Humbert's assay slugs issued at San Francisco. The field bears no inscriptions, devices, or additional ornamentation, giving the reverse a purely functional appearance consistent with its origins as a government assay piece rather than a conventional minted coin. |
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| Edge | Reeded |
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