San Francisco's Contributions To Artful Dodging

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Author	Replies: 10 / Views: 1,316
thq Pillar of the Community United States 3343 Posts	Posted 07/14/2021 10:53 pm Many San Franciscans became rich from the Gold Rush and the Comstock. Others barely got by grifting using precious metals.... The most egregious examples are the fractional gold coins. Talented engravers and jewelers, many from France, filled the demand for silver coins with readily-available gold in 1852-1854 prior to the opening of the Mint. Unfortunately, they did it by systematically shortweighting their products. Dollars which should weigh 1.66 grams are typically 30% short of this (1.0-1.2 grams), and are of undetermined purity. There is serious debate as to whether these coins actually circulated as money, though enough of them show wear to indicate some circulation, even if discounted. Another example is San Francisco silver crafting. The Comstock and Cerro Gordo mines supplied plenty of materiel, and San Franciscans were rich enough to afford it until the 1880's when the mines played out. As with the debased coins, the claimed purity of the silver is dubious. Modern XRF of pieces marked "sterling" has shown silver content as low as 70%. Even pieces marked "coin" rarely come up to the 90% silver standard. At least they were artful. Both the coins and the silver objects are beautifully made. "Two minutes ago I would have sold my chances for a tired dime." Fred Astaire Edited by thq 07/14/2021 11:00 pm Report this Post to the Staff

Oldfordman Pillar of the Community United States 2869 Posts	Posted 07/14/2021 10:55 pm Thanks for the interesting read! Report this Post to the Staff
sel_69l Bedrock of the Community Australia 21786 Posts	Posted 07/15/2021 12:07 am I think it may be fairly assumed that a lot of California gold fractionals have been heavily reproduced as 'jewelers' copies', right into modern times, sometimes in good gold, sometimes in less than good gold. I do have a couple of very obviously poor copies in gold plated brass. Due to my very incomplete specialist knowledge in this area, it is a minefield that I am not prepared to step into. I don't have the map details - I don't know how to dodge the 'artful dodgers'. Report this Post to the Staff
Coinfrog Bedrock of the Community United States 94367 Posts	Posted 07/15/2021 08:38 am Thanks for that. Report this Post to the Staff
Raised on rock Pillar of the Community United States 634 Posts	Posted 07/15/2021 09:23 am Thanks for the history lessen. Report this Post to the Staff
jbuck Moderator United States 188061 Posts	Posted 07/15/2021 11:00 am Very interesting! Coin Collector Since 1978 Avatar Old Avatar 7070 Eisenhower Australia Canada World CCF Members on eBay CCF eBay Search Engine Report this Post to the Staff
thq Pillar of the Community United States 3343 Posts	Posted 07/15/2021 11:32 am Some of the silversmiths made a good faith effort and got close to the marked purity. But on the low tests, lots of copper was added. The author of the silverware study was also trying to fingerprint the origins with XRF. A lot of West Coast silver came from the East Coast, especially Gorham and Whiting, and was remarked with SF brands. He found that lead to gold ratio (not levels) was generally higher for true Western pieces. The Cerro Gordo mines were primarily lead with minor silver. The lead was separated in San Francisco and used for pipe and shotmaking, with the byproduct silver shopped cheaply to the local silversmiths. The Cerro Gordo mines contributed greatly to the initial growth of LA. The Sierras are impassable at the mines. The lead bars were freighted 200 miles to LA and loaded on ships bound for SF. "Two minutes ago I would have sold my chances for a tired dime." Fred Astaire Edited by thq 07/15/2021 12:44 pm Report this Post to the Staff
Oldfordman Pillar of the Community United States 2869 Posts	Posted 07/15/2021 1:04 pm Wow, I thought the cali gold was just made to make some cash for the maker due to bad metal content. Report this Post to the Staff
thq Pillar of the Community United States 3343 Posts	Posted 07/15/2021 1:30 pm I read somewhere that some of them used the gold they had personally prospected. People like Deriberpe didn't come to be engravers. Most Cali gold is close to coin purity, and people were commonly trading in unassayed dust and flake. It's not like electrum. The best record we have of what was going on has been found on contemporary shipwrecks like the Winfield Scott. The fractionals are present, along with the dust. It doesn't prove the fractionals were money but it suggests it. "Two minutes ago I would have sold my chances for a tired dime." Fred Astaire Report this Post to the Staff
kenwright396 Pillar of the Community United States 1173 Posts	Posted 07/15/2021 3:00 pm I learn alot on this forum. Thanks! Report this Post to the Staff
Conder101 Bedrock of the Community United States 17884 Posts	Posted 07/15/2021 4:00 pm When I hear the term "artful dodging" I think of pickpockets from the character in Dickens "Oliver Twist". At least some of the first issue fractionals probably circulated as some were recovered with other coins from the SS Central America. Report this Post to the Staff
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