1849 California coin

[Badfrog]

I stopped to look at a new site and in 15 minutes, this was my only find. Don't know what to think of this as it was found a long way from home, in eastern Canada...

DO any of you have information on this coin ? I only found one reference to it in an auction. This is what was told ; 1849. California Gold Miner Brass Token. 22 mm. Probably issued for the centennial. Size of a $5.00 gold coin.

Anyways, I wanted to share this nice find !

T

 

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[briankb70]

cool looking token

 

[ziphius]

That's a great token and I wish I could help out with info....but you should consider posting it on the CA finds section of the forum:

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/board,554.0.html

There are some folks over there that will probably weigh in on this find.

Jim

 

[Aquila]

Cool token !

 

[Mackaydon]

Round Liberty copy of 1849 1/2 eagle + Miner with top hat hold very large nugget, palm trees behind, 1849 below, "CALIFORNIA" above. Apparently brass, usually seen heavily worn. These are apparently contemporary gambling tokens that were produced in Europe. See "California Counters" by Fauver. Appears to be F-300 (common).
Two varieties shown here:
http://www.calgoldcoin.com/big.htm
Don.........

 

[sscindercoop]

Amazing token

 

[Brian(upstateNY-Central Fla.)]

Thats a cool token piece

 

[DigginThePast]

Congrats on a cool token. Congrats to Mackaydon for the I.D.

 

[Texasgopher]

That's a great addition to any collection!

 

[jgas]

I would be proud to be the owner of that baby. Nice find. Congrats......jgas

 

[Mackaydon]

Here's one that just sold:
http://cgi.ebay.com/CALIFORNIA-COUN...88073433QQihZ008QQcategoryZ3512QQcmdZViewItem

Don....

 

[garthbfan169]

Very kool coin badfrog!! WTG

 

[civil war hunter]

OMG! I know what that is!But I don't have the book no more..

 

[allen]

wtg on that cool token !!

 

[crazyjarhead]

Cool token for the 1849 gold rush. Nice piece of history

 

[Ironman!]

Mackaydon has correctly ID'ed your find.

It is indeed a game counter. This is also identified in the reference book "Tokens and Medals" by Stephen P. Albert and Lawerence E. Elman. Just to add a little more info. for you and I quote out of their book. "Game counters are metallic tokens made for use in card playing and related games. They mostly predate gambling chips, and were used in a similar manner. Most were made and used in the 19th century, and resemble coins in appearance and/ or size. Most are made of brass and copy gold coins. There are many different categories."

Yours is listed in their first category titled "California Counters". Their description is as follows. "These pieces from the gold rush era and afterwards say California or California Counter or California Token on them, and picture liberty heads, gold panners, flags, eagles, and bears." They picture all of the different ones mentioned and yours is the first one pictured.

Ironman

 

[aa battery]

 

[whitesPA]

thats a nice token

 

[MUD(S.W.A.T)]

Hu...

Cool find !!

Keep @ it and HH!!

 

[coinmaster]

I have one of these tokens, and there not that common. Look them up I found a page were ones graded by ngc were selling 100$-600$ range. And these were the brass tokens. And the ones they were selling were in bad shape. Anyone who says these are not an amazing find is crazy, Just think of the men who were holding these betting all there gold or whatever they had. They are a GREAT part of history...