An 1852 California Gold $50 piece has brought nearly $368,000 at auction, highlighting the enduring appeal of coins linked to the early Gold Rush era.
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piece → bring → era
According to the auction house GreatCollections, the rare Augustus Humbert $50 was part of its Centennial Collection of Territorial Rarities, which featured eight certified territorial coins and drew 475 bids during the collection’s auction run.
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which → accord → run
The collection was presented from September 6 through September 27, 2026.
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collection → present → September
The coin itself, however, was listed among the collection’s September 6 offerings and sold for $367,875, including the buyer’s fee.
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coin → list → fee
Its rarity, preservation and connection to early California gold make it one of the standout pieces from the collection.
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it → make → collection
A coin from California’s Gold Rush era
GreatCollections identified the 1852 piece as an 1852 California Gold $50 U.S. Gold Assay Office Augustus Humbert 887 Reeded Edge, graded PCGS MS-63+.
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GreatCollections → identify → Edge
It was produced during the period when California’s enormous gold discoveries created an urgent need for reliable forms of gold-based currency.
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discoveries → produce → currency
The coin was associated with the U.S. Assay Office in San Francisco and Augustus Humbert, an official United States assayer who produced large gold pieces during the early years of the California Gold Rush.
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who → associate → Rush
GreatCollections describes territorial gold as privately or locally issued gold produced when federal coinage was scarce, including issues connected to the California, Georgia, Colorado and Utah gold rushes.
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coinage → describe → rushes
These pieces are commonly known as “slugs,” reflecting their unusual size and appearance compared with conventional United States coins.
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pieces → know → coins
Their historical importance comes partly from the monetary conditions of the period, when gold discovered in California needed to be assayed, weighed and converted into forms that could be used in commerce.
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that → come → commerce
Rare Augustus Humbert $50
The 1852 $50 piece carries the Augustus Humbert name and the designation “887,” referring to its fineness.
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piece → carry → fineness
According to GreatCollections, the coin was struck at .887 fine to reflect the natural purity of California placer gold.
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coin → accord → gold
It also described the piece as the rarest of three Humbert Reeded Edge varieties.
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It → describe → varieties
Its condition was another factor that distinguished the coin.
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that → distinguish → coin
Rather than showing the extensive wear often associated with early territorial gold, the example was graded MS-63+, indicating that it retained a high level of preservation.
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it → show → preservation
GreatCollections also described it as the finest known example of the variety by two full grade points.
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GreatCollections → describe → points
The auction house said the coin had exceptional preservation and strong remaining detail for a historic Gold Rush issue.
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coin → say → issue
GreatCollections identified it as a plate coin in America’s Golden Age by Donald H. Kagin and David McCarthy, highlighting its significance in numismatic literature.
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GreatCollections → identify → literature
GreatCollections reported that the $50 coin sold for $367,875, including the buyer’s fee.
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coin → report → fee
Its listing attracted 93 bids, according to the auction house’s results.
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listing → attract → results
The result placed the coin among the most valuable pieces in the Centennial Collection of Territorial Rarities.
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result → place → Rarities
That coin attracted 74 bids.
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coin → attract → bids
The collection brought together eight PCGS-certified coins, with one also approved by CAC.
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collection → bring → CAC
Across the collection, GreatCollections recorded 475 bids, while hundreds of users followed the offerings during the auction period.
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hundreds → record → period
The Centennial Collection included several other early California gold pieces alongside the $50 Humbert issue.
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Collection → include → issue
The collection also included two California State of California silver die trials from 1851, along with another 1852 U.S. Gold Assay Office Augustus Humbert $10.
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collection → include → Humbert
GreatCollections presented the collection between September 6 and September 27.
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GreatCollections → present → September
While the collection concluded on September 27, the auction record for the $50 Humbert coin shows that its individual sale took place on September 6.
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sale → conclude → September
The sale illustrates how pieces connected to California's earliest gold-producing years continue to attract collectors, particularly when rarity, historical provenance and exceptional preservation come together in a single coin.
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rarity → illustrate → coin
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