1850s U.S. Assay office San Francisco

JW77

A couple of questions on $50 slugs produced in connection with the Assay office. 1) Were any produced on U.S. Gov presses or were they all contracted to private parties. 2) Are these slugs considered U.S.legal tender? Thanks in advance for any info.

lilolme

I don't know but made me curious. I went looking at coinfacts and the associated auctions - here are some HA links. HA can sometimes have some information in some lot descriptions (hint - pick ones that have a higher grade / price and they can have more write up). Anyway here are a few to read and in no particular order.
At least this will get the thread bumped up.

https://coins.ha.com/itm/territorial-gold/territorial-and-fractional-gold/1851-50-le-humbert-fifty-dollar-lettered-edge-880-thous-ms63-pcgs-k-2-r5-pcgs-10196-/a/1310-10163.s?ic4=ListView-ShortDescription-071515

https://coins.ha.com/itm/territorial-gold/territorial-and-fractional-gold/1852-50-assay-office-fifty-dollar-887-thous-au58-ngc-k-13-low-r5-pcgs-10016-/a/1342-3399.s?ic4=ListView-ShortDescription-071515

https://coins.ha.com/itm/territorial-gold/1852-50-assay-office-fifty-dollar-900-thous-ms64-pcgs-secure-cac-k-14-high-r5/a/1212-3936.s?hdnJumpToLot=1&x=0&y=0

https://coins.ha.com/itm/territorial-gold/1852-50-assay-office-fifty-dollar-900-thous-ms63-pcgs-k-14-high-r5/a/1204-5426.s?hdnJumpToLot=1&x=0&y=0

Zoins

@JW77 said:
A couple of questions on $50 slugs produced in connection with the Assay office. 1) Were any produced on U.S. Gov presses or were they all contracted to private parties.

They were contracted to John Little Moffat's company, Moffat & Co.

@JW77 said:
2) Are these slugs considered U.S.legal tender? Thanks in advance for any info.

The slug are explicitly not legal tender to address the Act of January 18, 1837.

The following is from Kagin:

Donald H. Kagin said:
The ingots of the U. S. Assay Office were accepted for all customs duties by customs officer T. Butler King upon authorization from the President, but unfortunately Congress stopped short of according them full legal tender status. As a matter of fact, Mint Director George N. Eckert clarified his office’s position on this issue by stating that, “Even these are not money, or a legal tender, and the government is under no obligation to receive them.” This was intended to evade the provisions of the Act of January 18, 1837, which prescribed fixed alloy ratios for coins.

ricko

Not Legal Tender, however, they sure do sell for a bundle of the legal stuff... Cheers, RickO

JW77

@Zoins said:

@JW77 said:
A couple of questions on $50 slugs produced in connection with the Assay office. 1) Were any produced on U.S. Gov presses or were they all contracted to private parties.

They were contracted to John Little Moffat's company, Moffat & Co.

@JW77 said:
2) Are these slugs considered U.S.legal tender? Thanks in advance for any info.

The slug are explicitly not legal tender to address the Act of January 18, 1837.

The following is from Kagin:

Donald H. Kagin said:
The ingots of the U. S. Assay Office were accepted for all customs duties by customs officer T. Butler King upon authorization from the President, but unfortunately Congress stopped short of according them full legal tender status. As a matter of fact, Mint Director George N. Eckert clarified his office’s position on this issue by stating that, “Even these are not money, or a legal tender, and the government is under no obligation to receive them.” This was intended to evade the provisions of the Act of January 18, 1837, which prescribed fixed alloy ratios for coins.

@Zoins said:

@JW77 said:
A couple of questions on $50 slugs produced in connection with the Assay office. 1) Were any produced on U.S. Gov presses or were they all contracted to private parties.

They were contracted to John Little Moffat's company, Moffat & Co.

@JW77 said:
2) Are these slugs considered U.S.legal tender? Thanks in advance for any info.

The slug are explicitly not legal tender to address the Act of January 18, 1837.

The following is from Kagin:

Donald H. Kagin said:
The ingots of the U. S. Assay Office were accepted for all customs duties by customs officer T. Butler King upon authorization from the President, but unfortunately Congress stopped short of according them full legal tender status. As a matter of fact, Mint Director George N. Eckert clarified his office’s position on this issue by stating that, “Even these are not money, or a legal tender, and the government is under no obligation to receive them.” This was intended to evade the provisions of the Act of January 18, 1837, which prescribed fixed alloy ratios for coins.

thank you, very informative