1855 $50 Kellogg & Co.

Weight

83.6 g

Diameter

50 mm

Thickness

NA

Material

Gold

Shape

Round

Edge Type

Reeded

Technique

Proof

Front design

Augustus Humbert, U.S. Assayer of Gold, seated left, holding a scroll and quill pen.

Back design

Eagle with shield on breast, holding an olive branch and three arrows, denomination and date.

Year of Minting

1855

Ruler

NA

Mint location

Philadelphia

Mint mark

NA

Orientation

Coin alignment

Inscriptions

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | E PLURIBUS UNUM | 50 DOLLARS | KELLOGG & CO. | SAN FRANCISCO | CALIFORNIA GOLD

Context

: The following roster [from the 4/2014 Heritage auction catalog] derives from a variety of sources, expanded from the listing in Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins, and updated through the courtesy of Dr. Donald H. Kagin, a specialist in private gold coinage whose assistance is most appreciated. Fourteen examples of this famous rarity are known, with a portential for one or two more. The numbers assigned to each specimen rank them according to grade, with the associated number from Walter Breen's roster included. At one time or another, many of the known examples have been described as "finest known": 1. PR64 Cameo PCGS. Breen #1. Augustus Humbert; Humbert's heirs; Capt. Andrew C. Zabriskie; Zabriskie Collection (Henry Chapman, 6/1909), lot 341; Col. James W. Ellsworth; John Work Garrett; Johns Hopkins University; Garrett Collection, Part II (Bowers and Ruddy, 3/1980), lot 910; Kagin's; Paul Padget; Donald Kagin and Stuart Levine; private collection; the present coin. In the Garrett catalog, the description noted: "It is believed to be the finest known example of its kind." Walter Breen recorded the Garrett piece as later appearing in Auction '85. However, the coin in that auction was actually the unique 1854 Kellogg twenty dollar proof from the Garrett Collection. 2. PR64 PCGS. Breen #11. British private collection; Greater New York Convention (Stack's, 5/1984), lot 784; Robert Hughes; Rarities Sale (Bowers and Merena, 8/1995), lot 498; Stuart Levine; 2007 FUN Signature Auction (Heritage, 1/2007), lot 3893, realized $747,500. In the 1984 catalog, Stack's noted: "From information conveyed to us, this coin has recently come from England along with a few less important Territorial and Federal gold coins." 3. PR63 PCGS. Not in Breen. Smith & Son (3/1941); Frank Heim (6/2000); Don Kagin; Q. David Bowers; Donald Kagin; Elite Coin Auction (Superior, 1/2005), lot 953; Western collector; ANA Signature Auction (Heritage, 8/2007), lot 2119; FUN Signature Auction (Heritage, 1/2008), lot 3448. 4. PR63 PCGS. Breen #2. Kellogg family; possibly sold privately by Thomas Elder around 1916; New York collector, possibly F.C.C. Boyd; "J.F. Bell" in 1945; Memorable Collection (Numismatic Gallery, 3/1948), lot 967; Don Keefer; F.K. Saab; Gibson Sale (Stack's, 11/1974), lot 189; Auction '79 (Stack's, 7/1979), lot 996; Jerome S. Coles Collection (Stack's, 10/1983), lot 239; 68th Anniversary Sale (Stack's, 10/2003), lot 2292; 72nd Anniversary Sale (Stack's, 10/2007), lot 4017; FUN Signature Auction (Heritage, 1/2009), lot 4228. 5. Choice Brilliant Proof. Not in Breen. Buddy Ebsen Collection (Superior, 5/1987), lot 3140. This piece appears to be an example that matches none of the others and was unlisted in the Breen Census. 6. PR62 PCGS. Breen #3. George W. Rice; Virgil M. Brand; William F. Dunham (B. Max Mehl, 6/1941), lot 2369; W.D. Waltman Collection (B. Max Mehl, 6/1945), lot 37; Chicago ANA (James Kelly, 8/1956), lot 1850; Amon Carter, Sr.; Amon Carter, Jr. Collection (Stack's, 1/1984), lot 1149; Harlan White; ANA Signature Auction (Heritage, 8/1997), lot 7898; Donald Kagin; Craig Smith; Paul S. Mory Collection (Bowers and Merena, 6/2000), lot 1053; Rarities Sale (Bowers and Merena, 1/2002), lot 857; Midwest collection. 7. PR62 NGC. Breen #7. N.M. Kaufman Collection (RARCOA, 8/1978), lot 66; Auction '80 (Paramount, 8/1980), lot 982; Auction '84 (RARCOA, 7/1984), lot 2000; ANA Signature Auction (Heritage, 8/1992), lot 2583; RARCOA; Donald Kagin; private collection. 8. PR62. Breen #9. Augustus Humbert; Humbert's heirs; Capt. Andrew C. Zabriskie; Henry Chapman; John Story Jenks; Reuting Collection; Arthur C. Nygren (Henry Chapman, 4/1924), lot 82; Henry Chapman (per Mehl in the Waltman catalog); George Alfred Lawrence (Thomas Elder, 6/1929), lot 1365; John H. Clapp; Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr.; Eliasberg Estate; Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection (Bowers and Merena, 5/1996), lot 366; East Coast collection. 9. PR62. Breen #4. Augustus Humbert; Humbert's heirs; Capt. Andrew C. Zabriskie; Henry Chapman; George H. Earle Collection (Henry Chapman, 6/1912), lot 3782; purchased by B. Max Mehl and sold to Fred T. Huddart; Judge C.W. Slack (B. Max Mehl, 5/1925), lot 29; "Col." E.H.R. Green; Josiah Lilly Collection; Smithsonian Institution. Walter Breen recorded this specimen as once the property of Amon Carter, Sr. and Jr., although such a listing is doubtful. Additional intermediaries handled this coin on a consignment basis. Both Smithsonian pieces have recently been examined and graded by Jeff Garrett and Ron Guth. 10. PR62. Breen #5. H.O. Granberg (consigned to the 1914 ANS Exhibition); William H. Woodin (exhibited by Edgar Adams at the 1916 ANA Convention); Waldo C. Newcomer; Willis duPont; Smithsonian Institution. This piece was stolen from duPont in October 1967 and recovered in July or August 1978, as reported in Coin World, August 9, 1978. Illustrated at www.americanhistory.si.edu and plate-matched to Mehl's Newcomer plates. 11. PR60 PCGS. East Coast estate / Boston ANA Platinum Night Auction (Heritage, 8/2010), lot 3692. 12. PR53 PCGS. Breen #10. J.W. Schmandt (Stack's, 2/1957), lot 1028; Dan Brown; John H. Murrell; Henry H. Clifford; ANA (Kagin's, 8/1983), lot 3630; Auction '88 (Superior, 7/1988), lot 491; Auction '90 (Superior, 8/1990), lot 1406; Orlando Sale (Superior, 8/1992); private collection; FUN Signature Auction (Heritage, 1/2014), lot 5626. 13. Impaired Proof. Breen #6. Augustus Humbert; Humbert's heirs; Capt. Andrew C. Zabriskie; Henry Chapman; John A. Beck; John A. Beck, Part I (Quality Sales, 1/1975), lot 729; Dr. Ketterman; Arnold and Romisa Collections (Bowers and Merena, 9/1984), lot 330; Hoke S. Green Collection (Bowers and Merena, 6/1985), lot 24; Ambassador J. William Middendorf II Collection (Christie's, 3/1994), lot 375; Morrison/ Licht Collection (Stack's, 3/2005), lot 1320; Donald Kagin; private collection. Described as a "Brilliant Proof with some hairlines and minor friction." 14. XF Details NCS. Breen #8. C.W. Cowell (B. Max Mehl, 1911); Waldo Newcomer (exhibited at the 1916 ANA Convention); Charles Williams (per Mehl in the Waltman catalog); New York Metropolitan Sale (Stack's, 4/1962), lot 2814; John Rowe; Abner Kreisberg (1968); Public Auction (Quality Sales Corp., 11/1972), lot 1410A; Jack Klauson; 1973 ANA (Jess Peters, 8/1973), lot 1030; Walter Breen Gold Sale #1 (Pine Tree, 3/1974), lot 455; West Coast collection; Christie's (3/1990); Morrison/ Licht Collection (Stack's, 3/2005), lot 1321; Donald Kagin; private collection. In 1972, Abner Kreisberg and Jerry Cohen commented: "The usual surface abrasions and scratches have all been removed and quite a bit of luster is still adhering. Extremely Fine."

Rarity

Ultra rare

Coin type

California Gold (1849-1855)

In circulation

NA

Demonetized

No

Marketplace listings

0