1852 $50.00. United States Assay Office of Gold. .900 THOUS. K.14 (High R-5). About Uncirculated. The scroll over Charles Cushing Wright's defiant eagle gives the fineness as 900 THOUS, the outer legend identifies the United States Assay Office of Gold that succeeded U.S. Assayer Augustus Humbert's earlier facility that first coined the octagonal $50 ''Slugs'' that are today the greatest numismatic relics of the California Gold Rush. This reverse shows the engine-turned target pattern first employed by former watch case maker Humbert. The coin's edge is reeded and show amazingly few of the nicks that ordinarily plague these massive yet soft gold pieces. Relatively light circulation can be seen along with a few trivial marks but the overall quality of this bold example can only be called outstanding.
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