Back to Mike Locke's small gold token index page.

This is a start on a list of California gold tokens that have a bear or bear-like animal on the reverse.

This is organized around the reverse design of the coins, since it appears that there is quite a bit of uniformity of reverse design for each series of coins. Note that there may be a wide range of obverse designs paired with certain reverse designs. To find your token, be sure to look at the reverse (bear or wreath side) picture. The obverse pictures are only provided as a representative of one style that is paired with that reverse. All of the tokens on this page have an animal (presumed to be a bear) in the design.

Reverse designs are identified as follows

Bear #1

Detailed variety listing
Large smooth squatting bear with a thick upturned tail.
Plain blobs for ground underneath
Plain floral pattern in front and behind
Denomination in large letters in middle
"CALIFORNIA GOLD" in arc across the top
With porous surfaces, line drawing head, flat stars
Seen in modern souvenir presentation holders, known to have been produced as late as 1972
Only seen in 1/2 size

Daniel Hurkett produced a 10 coin presentation set of these in 1972 Andy Gunderson reports that the dies are now destroyed and that they were sold in a 7 piece braclet, 7 piece holder, 25 piece map, 100 piece pouch. Other combinations have also been noted. These tokens are goldene brass and contain no gold. They are *extremely* common and valued at $1-3 each.

Bear #2

Detailed variety listing
Shagy bear with a mane and lion's head
Ground usually underneath, sometimes as several horizontal lines.
Fancy floral pattern in front and behind
Denomination in large letters in middle
"CALIFORNIA GOLD" in arc across the top
Many dies seen, each apparently hand cut
Line drawing heads, but finer work than the bear #1 coins
Seen with 1932 Olympics and 1936 Bay Bridge obverses
Seen in 1/4 and 1/2 size

Seen gold plated brass, gilt brass, brass, copper, and solid gold
Some of the apparently solid gold pieces were struck from early states of the same dies seen on the plated pieces, indicating that these were earlier work.
Reported by Andy as made by Motivations research and later by Art Smith with "replica" on the reverse. 1970s or later. See also wreath #6.

Reported that some of the plated pieces are "restrikes" produced by Tatham. Although the plated tokens are very common, they are conditionally rare untoned and with the gilt intact.

Burnie says that these are extremely common and exist in all dates from 1849-1860 as well as all denominations from 1/4 to 1. I have not seen all dates, and I have never seen a 1 size token of this type.

Values for this type range from $1 for a toned or spotted gilt-brass specimen to $100 for a solid gold pristine proof-like example. Most are worth less than $5 each.

Bear #3; Burnie type 24

Detailed variety listing
Smooth bear (lion?) with lion's head and short downward pointing tail
Ground underneath
Fancy floral pattern in front and behind
Denomination in large letters in middle
"CALIFORNIA GOLD" in arc across the top "calIfOnia gOld" are superscripted
and the O have dots beneath them.
Most varieties are very similar in workmanship to Bear #2, and some common obverse dies with Bear #2 have been seen. A few dies seen have radically different workmanship, possibly indicating that more than one manufacturer made tokens of this type.
Seen in all three sizes. Not nearly as common as Bear #1 or Bear #2.

These are next of kin to Bear2. However, M Hart is known to have made some of these varieties in solid gold. $5-10 for a gilt-brass specimen, $50-$150 for one made by M Hart in solid gold.

Bear #4

Detailed variety listing
Hand cut smooth bear with no tail that is shaped like a possum
Blobs representing ground beneath
Plain floral pattern in front and behind.
Denomination in large letters in middle
Seen in 1/2 size only.

Appears to be Bear #10a dies, re-engraved to restore detail to the reverse.

Reported by Andy as Motivations Research products

VERY COMMON gold plated brass (or maybe just really bright brass?) worth $2-10 each.

Bear #5

Detailed variety listing
Hand cut small shagy bear shaped with a pig, facing left
A few lines for ground beneath, "1849" or nothing beneath that
Fancy floral pattern in front and behind
4 mountains with sunrise/set in middle, no denomination
"CALIFORNIA GOLD" in arc at top
Seen with Indian head surrounded by lots of small stars, with the 1849 reverse
Seen with Minerva with Eureka above and fewer, larger stars with the no-date reverse
The Indian head pieces appear to be much earlier work, either appear to be brass or gilt brass
Seen also with Liberty or Indian head and no mountains.

These three styles should probably be broken into three different bear types

Reported by Andy as Motivations Research products

The Indian head examples are worth around $10-15 each, the newer Minerva head pieces are worth $2-10 each, while the Large Liberty or Indian/large bear pieces are too rare to price at this time. None seen contain a significant amount of gold.

Bear #6

Detailed variety listing
Reverse similar to #5, but varying number of mountains or water, bear looks like a wolf, and much cruder workmanship. See also Bear 11 (no scenery)

Seen with Crying Indian, and Minerva with EUR*EKA above obverses

All seen are apparently gold plated brass. Valued at $10-20 each.

Bear #7; Burnie type 22/27?

Detailed variety listing
Same style as Bear #10, but bear mouth is a horizontal line and well defined.
Stuffed Teddy Bear appearance to bear due to the way the legs are engraved.

Reported by Andy as Motivations Research products

Common, but unusually fine workmanship for a modern piece keeps the value on these higher than their next of kin. $5-15 each.

Bear #8

Detailed variety listing
Very similar to the Bear #2 designs, but both sides more crude. Obverse designs appear to match the illustrations in Tatham advertisements. Planchets appear to be gold.

Only a few varieties and all of them infrequently seen. $25-50 each

Bear #9

Detailed variety listing
Wolf like tailless bear walking on stones with foliage front and back 1/2 above and "CALIFORNIA GOLD" in tall letters in arc above
***seen with obverse common with Bear #4. Only 1 reverse die seen.

Another next of kin to Bear2. Some appear to be contemporaries of the gilt-brass Bear2 issues (ca 1930-1950), while others appear to have been made even later than that on attractive gold plated planchets. $5-20 each, with the highest value reserved for nice, bright PL coins.

Bear #10a

Detailed variety listing
Big tailless grumpy bear
Extremely bright plating

Bear #10b

Same as Bear #10a but with replica in field. Even brighter plating.

Another extremely common issue in brass or gold plated brass, valued at $2-5 each.

Bear #11

Detailed variety listing
Left facing tailless bear shapped a little like a wolf. Hind legs short, and mountain peak visible between legs. Date above bear, two half wreaths above "CALIFORNIA GOLD" in arc across top.

See also bear #6; these piece is probably from the same manufacturer.
Seen with the Crying Indian and "Easter Island head" obverse.

Infrequently seen gold plated brass issue valued at $25-50 each.

Bear #12

Detailed variety listing
"Ardvaark bear", copy of bear #10, but nose pointed and details crude

Less commonly enountered, but very modern gold plated brass tokens. Valued at $5-15 each.

Bear #13

Detailed variety listing
"Laughing bear", small bear walking on grass. Foliage has outlined leaves, unlike others of this style. Style similar to bear #4 & 10
Only one reverse die seen, heavily abraided

This issue was apparently only issued in sets (individual pieces probably come from broken sets). The sets are fairly common. Bright brass finish. Valued at $5-10 each.

Bear #14

Detailed variety listing
Space-alien bear with thin legs and huge head. Small letters

Infrequently encountered token of completely unknown origin or date of issue. Valued at $25-50.

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A few pieces that defy categories

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Octagonal 1 size
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Modern copy from Japan*
Indian facing right, 1898 below 15 stars around. Very crude and heavy rust dimples. +
Tailless Bear with foliage in front and back, ONE above "CALIFORNIA GOLD" in arc at top

Obviously intended to copy M Hart's bear design. Valued at $1-2 each.

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Round 1 size
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Probably rare transitional piece. The bear is in the style seen on Bear 6 and Bear 11 varieties, but the wreath and lettering follow Bear 3 varieties. The Minerva head is the same as seen on Bear 6 varieties, but this particular die is not known in that series.