California Territorial Gold - Beginner collector

Agree! Books are also much cheaper than to get burned on a fake coin. These few coins here are just a little start and i will definitively pick up on your advice for any further larger purchases

 

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Thanks for your reply - a great piece you have. I share your motivation for collecting and am also fascinated by the history of California. Also remember reading Carl Barks comics and Don Rosas Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck being a kid which also covers the gold rush.

The coins were purchased at WAGO 125 and came from Kunker 352. Just pure luck that the latter sale had a single owner provenance way back to pre-1960s.
To me, knowing the previous collector(s), this information gives a lot of added value. Also hope that this provenance gives a smaller probability of any of the pieces being fake.

Here is the Kunker catalog: https://issuu.com/kuenkercoins/docs/kuenker352

Here is the collector profile of Hermann Schwarz - coins probably purchased early 1929 or between 1951-1958.

 

The one you posted looks like mine No.5...?

 

I have both of those books as well, but they really don't cover the Fractional gold pieces. However, both are interesting to read. You will enjoy the Bower's book.

 

Could be the same, idk for sure. Here's a pic of the flip that I originally got with mine with the Breen-Gillio number! Along with my second gold token that's in a coin bezel! If I were you, I would take that 5th one along with the others pictured to someone with an XRF spectrometer and have them tested for gold content. The only one I think is legit is the 5th pic but I've been wrong before. good luck!

 

True, as long as you don't pay too much money! Here's one of the auction books I was telling you about. I had an opportunity to do a little research on your tokens and this is what I'm thinking. All are charms except the 5th one which may be the same as mine, either way, that is the only one that should get a Breen-Gillio number. The thing about charms is many are made of gilt only, that doesn't mean they're not worth money as some people collect them, idk why but they do. If you look at ebay now and then you'll see some gilt tokens being sold, even right now check out the link and the pic below! good luck!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/304172257854?hash=item46d214523e:g:vdYAAOSwEDZheiOy

 

As mentioned the Breen/Gallio book is the standard reference for the series. It is out of print, hard to find, and expensive. But you can download a digital PDF version for free on the Newman Numismatic Portal
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/587202

Opps as Corgi points out, it is not the whole book. Should have checked before posting.

 

That's just an excerpt, but thanks for the link.