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California territorial gold
Yorkshireman
Posts: 4,494 ✭✭✭✭✭
I recently bought a small collection that included what I thought was a half dollar piece of California fractional gold in a NPG off brand slab. I will try to get a photo downloaded for clarity.
However, a bit of reading after the fact has gotten me a bit concerned. I did not pay a ton for it thankfully.
On the reverse, there is a large "1/2" fraction what looks like a bear at the bottom. In my reading, I found one site claims that no bears were pictured on the original territorial coins. The article stated that this is a territorial token. Does anyone here know about these?
To whom should I talk to try to ascertain value?
However, a bit of reading after the fact has gotten me a bit concerned. I did not pay a ton for it thankfully.
On the reverse, there is a large "1/2" fraction what looks like a bear at the bottom. In my reading, I found one site claims that no bears were pictured on the original territorial coins. The article stated that this is a territorial token. Does anyone here know about these?
To whom should I talk to try to ascertain value?
Yorkshireman,Obsessed collector of round, metallic pieces of history.Hunting for Latin American colonial portraits plus cool US & British coins.
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That token does not have a value, right? No dollar, etc?
Just the 1/2 which leaves you to figure out what denomination it was supposed to be. Not a a real coin of that period.
All had a denomination that I'm aware of.
I'm not the expert on these but have seen many over the years. Your token is likely from the 50's or 60's.
bob
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
Are they even gold?
Any clue as to value?
Are these really all fakes from the 1950's & 1960's?
Are they even gold?
Any clue as to value?
Often they are made of gold but sometimes of lesser purity.
Current market value best obtained by checking recent eBay sales which there usually is a lot of.
Are these really all fakes from the 1950's & 1960's?
Are they even gold?
Any clue as to value?
Often they are made of gold but sometimes of lesser purity.
Current market value best obtained by checking recent eBay sales which there usually is a lot of.
Being underweight or of lesser purity may not be a good differentiator since many of the period 1 pieces were also underweight.
There's a good discussion of this and general background in this thread.
The seller has agreed to give me my money back for that piece.
picture if possible... helps others to learn. Cheers, RickO
Excellent... pleased to hear you will get your money back... You should still upload a
picture if possible... helps others to learn. Cheers, RickO
My limited photo skills produced a picture to blurry to be helpful.
If you see a piece or "Territorial California Gold" that has the design of a bear on it. don't buy it for more than a few dollars because it was made as a 20th century novelty.
THANKS TO YOU GREAT FOLKS THAT OFFERRED ADVICE!!
good luck.
Are these really all fakes from the 1950's & 1960's?
Are they even gold?
Any clue as to value?
I wager that a good number of them only had a gold wash or thin gold plating. Woolworths five and dime stores used to sell them for $2.00 each in the mid to late 1960s. They had the faction "1/2" and bear on the reverse.
Just the 1/2 which leaves you to figure out what denomination it was supposed to be. Not a a real coin of that period.
All had a denomination that I'm aware of.
Many charms (someone called them tokens) struck between 1872 and 1882 used period 2 obv die and no denomination dies. I don't know any book after 1960 to discuss about this. Maybe it is a top secret among Calfracs collecting community