BG- 936, 1870 California Fractional Gold 50C, Liberty Octagonal NGC MS63 R5-

Here’s a unique piece to add to your collection: the ‘Goofy Head’ Octagonal Liberty 50c BG-936. Please take a good look at the images provided of this crisply detailed example of a popular—and reasonably priced—variety in the extensive California Fractional Gold series. The BG-936 is one of approximately 208 different varieties of the gold 50 cent denomination discussed in the Breen-Gillio (BG) reference book.

This variety is Low Rarity-5 and is representative of Period Two of the jewelers’ issues produced from 1859 to 1882. BG-936 is the Redbook Type “Small Liberty head/Value and Date in Wreath, Period 2.” The jeweler who produced this variety is ‘Unknown Maker C.’ On the obverse, 13 stars surround the ‘Goofy Liberty Head,’ and the bust points to the 1^st star, while the coronet touches the 6^th star. Upon the reverse, ‘1/2 DOLLAR 1870’ is within a wreath, and 14 berries are found on each branch. EML 25; Burnie 44; Lee 20A; Doering 237.

The California Theater in San Francisco, circa 1870. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.