California fractional gold coins. Different periods
topstuf
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Why did the early ones (period 1) predominantly bear the head of Liberty and the later ones change to Indians?
Any theories?
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Perhaps the fear of being accused of counterfeiting made them change the design to look less like the current US coins. Also the later coins were primarily sold as souvenirs and collectables and the Indian was a popular motif at the time symbolizing the "wild west".
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
I think the second reason is probably the main one. Consider the proliferation of Wild West shows during that same time period.
The do-gooders wanted to make amends for stealing Indian land?
Edit: @PerryHall said: "Perhaps the fear of being accused of counterfeiting made them change the design to look less like the current US coins."
This is a better answer.
I think counterfeiting was probably a secondary concern. I think the main issue was the rise of the Indian motif. The later period (late 1860s and 1870s) also coincides with the rise of the Indian Cent.
Current interests. Makes sense.
There is probably some literature out there. The manufacturers/designers of at least some of the coins are known.
Where's RogerB when you need him?
This was best I found. Doesn't really treat the ....reason...for design changes but does discuss the various periods.
https://www.ngccoin.com/coin-explorer/california-fractional-gold-pscid-84
I know the only ones that interested me were the first period during the change shortage.
Indians sold better.
Prominent Period 1 CAL makers Deriberpe, Nouzillet and Routhier were arrested in April of 1853 for counterfeiting. In part for the issue of gold dollars.
They must
have gotten of the hook so to speak
because they continued to issue pieces with Liberty heads after this
date.
A number of their issues were recovered from the wreck of the
S.S. Central America including quarter dollar pieces (BG 111)
bearing the date of 1856 -Nouzillet
Period 2 pieces were offered as prizes in boxes of candy. They were
also offered to travelers heading out West aboard trains as “California money” in exchange for the unsuspecting passengers real
US coin.
Among the public in general there seemed to be some confusion regarding the
private jewelers manufacture of these pieces.
A number of contemporary folks thought the pieces were the issue of the US Government.