Hobbies And Interests
1849 California Gold
Templeton Reid, a Georgia jeweler and gunsmith, issued the first known private gold coins. He struck two issues of "California Gold" coins in 1849 in denominations of $10 and $25. Only one copy of the $10 coin is known to exist--it is located in the Smithsonian--while the only known copy of the $25 coin was stolen from the U.S. Mint in 1858.
1849 Norris, Gregg &Norris
This $5 coin was struck in Benicia City in 1849 with an eagle on the front. Called the "Half Eagle," this coin was struck with both plain and reeded edges, although the values of both are the same. Despite its minting location, the city of San Francisco is struck on the back with the initials of "N.G.&N." representing private firm Norris, Gregg &Norris.
1850-51 Baldwin &Company
Jewelers George C. Baldwin and Thomas S. Holman issued these coins in 1850 and 1851 with face values of $5 and $10. The $10 coin featured a horse and rider on the front with an eagle on the back. Lady Liberty in profile covered the front of the $5 piece, with another eagle on the reverse. The 1851 version used a "Liberty Head" design similar to the U.S. Mint produced gold coins of the day, with another profile of Lady Liberty.
1854-55 Kellogg &Company
Kellogg &Company produced $20 and $50 gold coins to fill a vacuum created when the San Francisco mint did not produce coins for a short period. Both the 1854 and 1855 coins feature similar "Liberty Head" designs, with slight differences between Lady Liberty and the eagle on each. This firm produced a $50 coin in 1855, but less than a dozen copies of this piece are known to exist today.