1848 CAL quarter eagle; the letter behind the coin.
RogerB
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Quarter eagles dated 1848 with the letters “CAL.” Impressed into the reverse have long been admired (and desired) by coin collectors. The basic story was published several years ago, but I thought members might enjoy seeing the original letter from Secretary of War Marcy. Other documents including the Philadelphia Mint’s reports on the subject state that average gold purity was 0.894. The cinnabar sample produced approximately 30% mercury on distillation. This native mercury would later be used to create amalgam of gold and silver from crushed ore. Platinum was of interest to New York dentist Louis Feuchtwanger, who soon acquired a small quantity for experimentation in dental inlays.
[Courtesy Heritage Auctions. MS 67 sold for $161,000.]
War Department
Washington
December 8, 1848
Dr. A. [sic] M. Patterson
Director of the Mint
Philadelphia
Sir,
I have received several specimens of the gold recently discovered in California, and Lieutenant Colonel Cooper, who is the bearer of this letter, will place in your hands a quantity of this metal for the purpose of having it assayed. As doubts exist in the minds of some as to its being gold, I hope it will be in your power to resolve them at once and furnish me, through him, with the result of your examination as far as respects its genuineness. You will consult your convenience in presenting a more full and particular report but I desire it at an early period.
I have not the means of ascertaining the exact weight of the specimens sent, the large quantity – that in the caddy – is a collection from the various localities where the metal is found. The note which accompanies it states its weight to be 230 ounces 15 pennyweights and 9 grains, but I presume it will be found to fall short of that quantity, as some of the finer particles have sifted out notwithstanding the pains taken to guard against loss. In order to have a specimen of it here, I request you to deliver one pound of it, or about that quantity, to Colonel Cooper to bring back.
If the metal is found to be pure gold, as I doubt not it will be, I request you to reserve enough of it for the two medals ordered by Congress and not yet completed, and the remainder, with the exception of one or two small bars, I wish to have coined and sent with the bars to this Department. As many may desire to procure specimens of coin made of the California gold, by exchanging other coin for it, I would suggest that it be made into quarter eagles with a distinguishing mark on each, if any variation from the ordinary issues from the Mint would be proper and could be conveniently made.
I send you a specimen of metal also from California, very small in quantity marked Platina, which I request you to test and report the result. As much curiosity exists as to the character, quality, etc. of this newly discovered mineral, I respectfully request that you final report may be such as will furnish the fullest information on the subject.
I also send by Colonel Cooper a quantity of Cinnabar obtained not far from the place where the gold is found, in the hope that you have at the Mint the means of ascertaining the percentage of quicksilver [i.e., “mercury” – Ed.] it contains. Your report on this ore will also be highly interesting to the public. I hope to be favored with the result of your examination of this specimen as soon as it can be conveniently prepared.
Very Respectfully, Your obedient servant
W. L. Marcy [Ed – William Learned Marcy],
Secretary of War
[RG104 Entry 1 Box 27, from NNP and images made under a grant from CSNS]
Comments
A very interesting piece of American history. Thanks for posting it.
….and they are not immune from imitation. I've seen two examples with "CAL." added to genuine coins and this counterfeit.
Great letter - Great Coin -
Thanks for posting it.
Wonder why I have an urge for a Cinnabun ?
for PCGS. A 49+-Year PNG Member...A full numismatist since 1972, retired in 2022
So "CAL." was incuse? Very interesting piece of history as this gold may have come from the Sutters Mill strike of 49? Or was this 1 year earlier from elsewhere? -- And thanks for deciphering, that cursive is brutal!
Did the "added" ones have a flat spot or anything on the obverse?
Both were circulated. If they did, it was not noticeable.
Aiyee....
The War Dept deposit was weighed by the Mint at 228 oz. It was combined with another, much larger, California deposit received the day before for a total value of $36,492.
The first deposit, by David Carter of Boston, was valued at $32,581.41 so the War Dept gold must have been worth $3,910.59 or 189.13 T oz. Carter's gold was melted in 5 batches, and the War Dept.'s in 1. The accepted mintage of 1,389 would have consumed about $3,472.50 in value. Also, the coins were paid out to the depositor (War Dept.) according to normal procedure - this is specifically stated in related letters. Except for a few coins saved by Engraver Longacre and others at the mint, the coins were distributed by War Department employees and officers, not Treasury.
James Marshall's Sutters Mill find/discovery was on January 24, 1848. 1848. Sutter tried to keep the news secret for a bit, but was unsuccessful.
It took the better part of one year for the news to filter back to the East Coast. Thus, the Gold Rush was in 1849.
IIRC, William T. Sherman was one of the Army officers who gathered up the gold that was sent back to Secretary of War Marcy.
Thanks for the history lesson. Nice old coin.
cool. very interesting.
bob
Great info, thanks!
The cinnabar in the letter might have been from the New Almaden Quicksilver Mine near San Jose, California.
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Thanks for the post, very cool and one of my favorite issues!
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I really enjoy these old letters (yes, I even read cursive)....Brings us back to a different time, with more consideration given to communications, and manners - which are seriously lacking today. Cheers, RickO
@ricko Yes, I am one of the oldsters who can read cursive too - the cursive writing on display is about average in readability, neither the easiest nor the hardest. Once you get used to what the writer is doing style-wise, it falls into place quickly.
Perhaps the copy that was sent out was nicer, and this retained copy was done more quickly.
RE: "Perhaps the copy that was sent out was nicer, and this retained copy was done more quickly."
Certainly very likely. The file copy would be quick and might have a imitation signature. The original would have been neatly written with an authentic signature. I wonder if the letter exists?
Regarding the cinnabar (or 'cinnabun') vein, this might help:
“…I will mention that on my return from the Sacramento, I touched at New Almoder, the quicksilver mine of Mr. Alexander Forbes, consul of her Britannic Majesty at Tepic. This mine is in a spur of mountains 1000 feet above the level of the bay of San Francisco, and is distant in a southern direction from the Pueblo de San Jose, about 12 miles. The ore (cinnabar) occurs in a large vein dipping at a strong angle to the horizon. Mexican miners are employed in working it, by driving shafts and galleries about six feet by seven following the vein….”
[Report of Colonel Richard Barnes Mason, the military commandant of California. August 1848]
What were the "two medals ordered by Congress?"
The Winfield Scott and Zachary Taylor gold medals.
What is now proved was once only imagined. - William Blake
The inventive Wally Breen speculated about these, but so far I've found no clear references. David W. Lange notes that "Breen surmised that the two medals mentioned by Marcy were for Generals Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott. However, a letter dated January 5, 1849 from Mint Director Patterson to Secretary of War Marcy states that 'The California gold reserved for the medals is from another deposit ?' " i also do not know the weight of the two small gold bars. The War Dept.'s "poke" of gold was one pound Troy.
More fascinating numismatic history. Thanks Roger (and others who added to the thread)!
See the final thread in this series regarding disposition of the War Department gold.