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How much gold is in each Cal Fractional?

Coins911Coins911 Posts: 538
in U.S. Coin Forum
Does anyone know how much gold is in a 25/50 cent and $1 California Fractional Gold Coin?

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    llafoellafoe Posts: 7,220 ✭✭
    There's just a fraction of gold in each coin! image
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    LanLordLanLord Posts: 11,754 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I'm not certain, but weren't they terribly unreliable in the purity and weight area?
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    PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 47,598 ✭✭✭✭✭
    It depends on the period and the manufacturer. The period 1 coins had the highest gold content at about 80% of what the gold content should be to equal the face value. These coins were made to circulate as money in commerce due to a shortage of small change. The period 2 coins were made primarily as souvenirs and for the jewelery trade and had a much lower gold content. Some coins were actually gold plated over brass or silver.

    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

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    crypto79crypto79 Posts: 8,623 ✭


    << <i>There's just a fraction of gold in each coin! image >>



    Beat me to it
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    LindeDadLindeDad Posts: 18,766 ✭✭✭✭✭
    At the prices they sell for does it really matter. The numismatic premium should be more of a factor to price than there metallic content.

    Unless your question is purely of a historical nature of how much of a scam many of them were?

    Or how much wiskey will a pinch of gold buy at the time.

    image
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    TexasNationalsTexasNationals Posts: 3,837 ✭
    I think my 25c fractional weighs .25 grams, so 1/4 of a gram and would assume a 50c would weigh around 1/2 a gram.
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    llafoellafoe Posts: 7,220 ✭✭


    << <i>I think my 25c fractional weighs .25 grams, so 1/4 of a gram and would assume a 50c would weigh around 1/2 a gram. >>



    Which scale are you using to measure these coins? imageimage
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    CarlWohlforthCarlWohlforth Posts: 11,074 ✭
    Not much. image
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    PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 47,598 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>At the prices they sell for does it really matter. The numismatic premium should be more of a factor to price than there metallic content. >>



    Agree. It's like asking how much is the copper in a 1793 chain cent or a 1909 S-VDB cent worth. It doesn't matter because the value of these coins lies in their history and they're just plain cool.

    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

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    thebeavthebeav Posts: 4,108 ✭✭✭✭✭
    As previously stated, there was no standard in the manufacture of these pieces. Unlike the US mint that puts the same of each material into every denomination.
    I've seen Cals run anywhere from 8 karat to 22 karat.......
    My Ebay Coin Store

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