Just added this to my collection. To be honest, I bought this coin a year ago but just opened the package. We moved at the time and it wasn’t as important as other things. And I knew it contained coins so I just opened it. It’s a Gold Quarter dated 1869. From the California Gold Rush. It’s round and the date and value are on the reverse inside the wreath. On the obverse under Liberty is a G, which is the makers mark. It’s from Period 2, BG-828. Made by Gray & Company of San Francisco. Even though it’s dated 1869 it may have been minted years later. The Coinage Act of April 22, 1864 made private coinage illegal. The law wasn’t fully enforced until 1883. This could have been produced as late as 1881 and back dated to 1869. I have the coin in hand and I’m thinking this should be a grade higher. If nothing else, it should get a gold or green bean.
These are cool, if rather crudely engraved. I guess that’s part of their charm. I had a couple of holed examples on my famous “Holey Gold Hat”, once upon a time. Never had a problem-free, slabbed MS example like you have there. I should probably get one. Here’s a round California gold 1/4 dollar and an octagonal 1/2 dollar, as well as the hat they once hung on. Like you say, they’re quite tiny. By the time someone put a hole in ‘em, there wasn’t much coin left!
If they made a large enough hole the coin was gone. Even a small hole makes one fourth of the coin disappear.
