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 Replies: 13 / Views: 1,604 |
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Valued Member
Canada
50 Posts |
Has anyone ever heard of a 1812 california gold piece that is a bit smaller than a dime. Sorry no pics yet. Was their such a coin made? Found it in an old shoe box marked COINS.
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Valued Member
United States
486 Posts |
The earliest they started making private assayer coins in california was in the 1840s. There's know way the coin could be from California before gold was discovered there in January of 1848. -PP
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Pillar of the Community
United States
533 Posts |
Maybe? I'm not sure. If there was it would have been made by an private company and should have the company's name on it somewhere. I doubt there was, as the Gold Rush didn't start until the late 1840's, but I know little about Frontier Gold Coins.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1840 Posts |
I think California still belonged to Spain in 1812. I would question this coins authenticity.  |
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Moderator
 United States
6563 Posts |
with 1812 on the coin itself?  I do believe we need some pics |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
533 Posts |
quote:
think California still belonged to Spain in 1812. I would question this coins authenticity.
Lol, yea I never thought about that... California didn't gain its independence from spain until 1821, and Americans didn't start showing up there until later that decade. America didn't gain control of California until early 1847. Some history for all of you.  (Thank You Wikipedia) |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
there are allot of fake "california gold" pieces or fantasy pieces, which ever you want to call them. If they have a bear on the reverse I think all of them are fakes or fantasy pieces sold as novelty items and contain no gold what so ever. The one mentioned can't be real for the reasons mentioned above but if you look on ebay you will see allot of the small pieces that have the bear on the reverse that I am talking about. If I am not mistaken the real ones had the word "Dollar" spelled out on them also not "DOL." or just 1/2 or anything like that, but still if it has a bear on it then it isn't real |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5318 Posts |
1812? Hmmm.... Knowing a bit about California history, there was no knowledge of gold here until Sutter discovered it in 1848. Apparently the Spanish never looked for it here, despite it being right under their feet in the alluvials leading from the Sierras!  |
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New Member
United States
48 Posts |
Be careful there are alot fake junk out there.
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Valued Member
 Canada
50 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5318 Posts |
Just so ya know...Here was the US circa 1806:  |
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Valued Member
Canada
50 Posts |
Did they make a 1912 indian head gold piece marked CALIFORNIA GOLD? No denomination on it.
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Valued Member
Canada
50 Posts |
My bad, it is a 1859 dated coin.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
still if it has a bear on the reverse it is one of those fake pieces, they usually have a indian on the front and are either round or hectagon shaped but most of the fakes I have seen have the bear on them and the word Dollar is shortened with just the first three letters "Dol."
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Replies: 13 / Views: 1,604 |
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Posted 03/06/2008 5:00 pm
