NNP

1853 $20 Assay Office Twenty Dollar, 900 Thous. AU53 NGC. K-18, R.2. In 1851, small denomination coinage by the United States Assay Office in San Francisco was almost exclusively that of the fifty-dollar octagonal ingot. The ten- and twenty-dollar issues were not produced in quantity until 1852, after Moffat & Co. was dissolved and the U.S. Assay Office came under the direction of Curtis, Perry & Ward. By 1853, the twenty-dollar gold piece was a plentiful and popular denomination in the local economy. This About Uncirculated example shows bright yellow-gold color with partial luster in the fields. Light wear and trivial contact marks are characteristic of territorial gold from this period. Ex: Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society.

Heritage Newman IX, November 2017, lot 15113, realized $6600. Images and description courtesy of Heritage Auctions.