Souvenir token for San Francisco Chinatown

何氏币

This interesting “tiny” piece was likely struck as a souvenir token for San Francisco Chinatown. It weighs about a gram with a diameter of 1.2 cm. Really tiny piece!

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On the obverse is a circle-enclosed Chinese dragon with English inscription of “San Francisco Chinatown” surround it;

The reverse pictures a California grizzly bear flanked by Eschscholzia californica, aka “California poppy”, the state flower of California. A “1/2” was inscribed in the center, and “California Gold” on the upper portion of the coin.

This tiny token is an example of what we know as California fractional gold pieces. They are gold coins of small denomination issued by jewelers, engravers, and goldsmiths to satisfy a need for small change that developed in California during the Gold Rush days. These tiny gold pieces were issued in denominations of quarter dollar, half dollar, and one dollar from 1852 to 1882, in both round and octagonal form. Genuine fractional gold pieces generally have a Liberty Head, Indian Head, or Washington Head represented on the obverse; a wreath or beaded circle on the reverse, or eagles on a couple of the half dollar issues. The “coin” issues were minted of gold, but invariably under-weight, most being denominated and dated. While the Coinage Act of April 22, 1864, outlawed such private issues, that law was not sternly enforced until 1883. Commencing in the 1870s souvenir “token” issues were produced, most of which were of low gold content or gold plated and not denominated. In circumvention of the law many of the “token” issues from the 1880s on were backdated to the 1850s and 1860s.

An 1882 law provided that the word “dollar” could not be used on any gold piece other than issues of the U.S. Mint. Imitation souvenir tokens made after that date and back-dated to the 1850s and 1860s usually state the value numerically as 1/4, 1/2, or 1, without the word dollar (like this one), to avoid the legal requirements prohibiting any form of the word dollar, even though the imitation pieces, not being reproductions of government issues, could not legally be considered counterfeits.

亚高

So cute, looks like a gold piece, with original luster.