Show RAREST COINS Of U. U SO S. fOUND T Two wo 50 Gold Pieces Only Ones Ever Struck Off by Government t Has Been Discovered Discovered Discovered Dis Dis- covered Recently New York Jul July 10 Coin Caln Coin collectors t today oday are talking pg of oC nothing but Ch the Che theA t two wo unique United States State sold gold old coins of t 50 50 0 denomination w which l were pur- pur wr cha c WillI William H. H c cf city itT fit nt tt tile Ole highest pre premium lIm over o paid f for tor or a rare coin cain Those These 50 0 O gold pieces are arc regarded b by y collectors collector as us the time rarest coins In iii tho w world orld and were much sought after Woodin only securing them after spirited s bidding which ran above the p previous record for Car high big premiums m made ade when a Brash ur gold old w was WIlS as sold for tar GOO at a Philadelphia s sale ale some ome time ago Mr bought tho the coins tram from S Stephen E. E Kah Kagy and John W. W Hazel- Hazel t tine ine l Philadelphia collectors who bud haJ h held eld them lor br man many years They are t the he on only 1 coins coln of 50 denomination e ever er ver struck off by the United States Slates They rhey were patterns of at the tho half union design made at It the order of oC S Secretary of tho tile Treasury GuthrIe and n ever went be beyond ond the tho experimental s tage e. e although said to fo bo be the tue most mOlt s tt ever tr designed b by the govern govern- me ment nt Ii CI to IIno 31 lelh el ted ll These two gold pieces have not been se seen icon n since the he year car of ot their mintage o 1877 and were supposed by all ull cut col- lectoria to have been melted incited UI up Each F-acim of the coins Is of a distinctive design although differing only in minor minot details They rhey are aro exactly two Inches in diameter ter and anal one eighth of oC an Inch in thickness The These were the only 50 gold sold pieces ever issued at the time United States mint and are aro not to be confounded with time thu 50 O pieces minted In California dated Hal 1851 1852 and 1556 Before tho the establishment of the tile United States branch mint mini nt at San FrancIsco Francisco Francisco Fran Fran- cisco In 1854 the California pioneers had to reI rely upon gold gohl dust an and tho time gold coins made mado b by private ate persons for tor their circulating me medium The Time gold dust fluctuated greatly in value and purchasing power while hila the tho private coins nearly alt all were of a depreciated tej character ranging In value from S to 20 o per por cent discount To relieve the tho inconvenience and loss caused b by this circulating medium of indefinite tho the government In 1850 1860 J provided for fur the time establishment of or an assay office in San Francisco fiN n Money Upon the tho appearance of tho the States assa assay office Ingots all the private vale vate old olal coins wera gradually driven out of circulation man many of oC them be heln he- he ln ing deposited at at the thu assay office and reissued In tho shape of or the octagonal Ingots Relief Heller to o a certain extent was fur fur- ur- ur nl In 1854 1853 when more United States gold pieces came Into tion and tile the San Francisco mint be began began began be- be gan opera operations operation lIane Soon thu octagonal pieces met the time fate of the time smaller California coin being exported or sent to tho the local mint and and It was not long before the time business men of California felt the need of at a n. gold Piece of ot large denomination As a A. result the business men of San Francisco early In 1354 1854 sent a petition to tho secretary of the treasury Ur re requesting requesting requesting re- re questing him to authorize the time striking at the San Francisco mint of a I. I 50 60 I piece of or tho the same shape and a an as the tho regular United States double eagle Work ork on Coin I Long ong Badly needed as ns were tho the gold coin provided II by time the bill the bill never a law Ian On Ma May 29 9 1851 Son Sen en ator again brought the tho matter of the of tho the live ho and ten len pieces to tIme the attention of the tile Senate I but discussion was Willi postponed On June IC 16 the time bill pass passed d time the Senate h by a largo large o majority m although It U failed to meet the time approval of ot the tho House It is not known wh why tho time work worle of I executing the dies lUCS of tho ho United S Stated 50 pieces was delayed until when the time reason for tor their creation occurred In 1854 While only these two pieces were struck in gold still a number of oC specimens ns were wore made of oC copper from Cram each ench of the two sets of dies Even the copper pieces are of great grent rarity and highly valued allied The coins were wera designed by William Barber formerly chief chlof engraver of the mint and father of time the present chief engraver Charles E. E Barber Mr fr Bar Bar- bars berH initial B hi U appears on the tho coins under time the bust of or Liberty The ro- ro Verse ue design of ot both hoth coins is 18 exactly the same There are mt lk marked d differences differ differ- on the obverse Tho The head of ot Lib orty erty on one la is larger than tho the other the diadem bearing the tho word Lib crt b being plain while the second variety bears five fhe ornaments ornament Tl rte c late date of ot both coins Is time the same Bam 18 1877 |