1849 G$1 Pacific Company AU55 认证号45600021, PCGS号45435

Ron Guth

Only two examples are known in gold of the 1849 Pacific Company $1.  The first example was discovered in 2000 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania by a treaure hunter using a metal detector.  That example is circulated and has two large solder spots on the reverse where a mount had once been attached.  The second example was an unusual discovery, because it had always been presented as a Gilt Silver piece (even by collectors Virgil Brand and Jay Roe) and was presented in a similar fashion in a 2002 Bowers & Merena sale.  The buyer of the coin recognized it as made of gold, a fact confirmed by a later metallurgical analysis, the end result being a very substantial profit.

The first piece (ex mount) was analyzed and found to contain 72.2% gold, 16.8% silver, 11% copper.  The second piece was analyzed and found to contain 64.5% gold, 16.1% silver, 8.9% copper, 5.3% silicon, 4.0% aluminum, and 1.1% iron.  The difference in the purity of the gold can be attributed to variations in the quality of the native ore out of which these coins were made.

Sources and/or recommended reading:
American Numismatic Rarities 8/2006 sale of the Old West & Franklinton Collections, lot 1128