California became a part of the United States in 1850. As a state, California could not mint coins. However, private companies struck their own gold coins, bearing their name and released them into circulation during the years from 1849 to 1855. Most had ceased minting operations by 1854 since the branch of the US Mint was in operation by that time. But Kellogg & Company still minted gold coins in 1854. The company was reorganized as Kellogg & Humbert late in 1854 and produced coins in 1855. I don't know that anyone knows how many coins were minted by these private companies but the coins are rather scarce and many command a very high price tag. The US Branch Mint at San Francisco was indeed minting gold coins in 1854 in the demoniations of $1, $2.50, $5, $10 and $20.
There was never a gold half penny issued by the U.S. Mint.
The 1854S is the rarest of all Coronet $2.5 gold coins, In VF condition according to MArech 2009 Coin Values from Coin World it is worth $100,000.00. The 1854 ( Philadelphia ) no mint mark in VF is worth $225.00
The Dahlonega, Georiga Mint produced gold coins from 1838-1861.
The Mint stopped making gold coins in 1933 as a result of legislation to stabilize the price of gold during the Great Depression. Additionally, the law forbade the possession of gold bullion and coinage. The Mint stopped using gold for circulating coins in 1974 despite the law change.
There are two types of one dollar gold coins for this year, both are dated 1854. The Type 1 is a Liberty Head and the Type 2 is a Indian Head and each type has different values. Post new question as to the type of coin.
There was never a gold half penny issued by the U.S. Mint.
The Sydney Mint was established in 1854 as an outpost of the Royal Mint London, and started producing coins in 1854. The Sydney Mint closed in 1926.
The San Francisco mint opened in 1854 and produced coins almost every year to the present except for a short time from 1955 to 1967. The facility at West Point began striking Lincoln Cents in 1974 and continued until 1986, but no mint mark was place on any of the coins. In 1983 the "W" mint mark appeared on gold commemorative coins. In 1986 American Gold Eagle coin were produced but did not bear a mint mark. Today the "W" mint mark appears on all gold commemorative coins and a few silver coins as well.
Gold coins are being minted by U.S. Mint HQ in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Other mint facilities are located in Denver (Colorado), West Point (New York), San Francisco (California) and Fort Knox (Kentucky).
No. The San Francisco Mint didn't open until 1854, a few years after the start of the California Gold Rush.
This piece needs to be seen for an accurate assessment. It is NOT a U.S. Mint issue. The lowest denomination gold coin issued by the Mint is One Dollar. They are California Small-Denomination and or Fractional gold. Some are round, others octagonal with Indian heads or Liberty heads. Most of these pieces are gold plated. Coins with bears on them regardless of date, are modern replicas that have no collectible value. Some pieces do have value, so take it to a coin dealer. But don't be disappointed if it's worthless.
The 1854S is the rarest of all Coronet $2.5 gold coins, In VF condition according to MArech 2009 Coin Values from Coin World it is worth $100,000.00. The 1854 ( Philadelphia ) no mint mark in VF is worth $225.00
Gold plated coins are novelty coins with no collectible value and are not made by the US Mint.
California fractional gold coins are tokens struck in California to make up for the lack of US small denomination coins in the western US. During the early gold rushes, there was no nearby US mint in the west, and there was an abundance of gold. So people used the US gold standard price ($20.67 per troy ounce, since the US dollar was on a gold standard) and made coins with the required amount of gold to make up for small change. These coins are today very collectible, however, fakes abound and there is little information about them online.
The coin is one of the many known varieties of "California Gold" coins and none are U.S. Mint products. Most of the coins are considered "Tokens" and have little or no collectible value. Some of the coins actually have gold in them but it's very low grade gold. It's best to take to a dealer or collector for a idea if it has value.
Circulated coins are valued at $650.00-$770.00 Mint state coins are $840.00
All real US gold coins have dates but not all have a mintmarks