This is a start on a list of California gold tokens.

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.

This is the second edition of this listing, now with "Wreath4" reorganized with fewer pictures per page in order to make viewing more convenient.

Back to Mike Locke's small gold coin and token home page.

According to a circa 1910 letter from Nathan Joseph, it is likely that the earlier manufactured tokens are 10 or 14 carat gold (he offered both alloys) and that the dies were used over a long period of time. Nathan Joseph reported that his popular Arms of California dies were destroyed in the 1906 SF fire (unknown what variety), but that he had made new dies and new coins were now available (also unknown what variety).

We start with a list of counterfeits of the genuine pieces. All of these have denominations, yet are believed to be of post 1883 manufacture. See also miniature USA coins listed at the very bottom of page.

Rogue's gallery

Detailed variety listing
Wide range of designs, all of which have a denomination. Look here before buying any "BG-unknown" coin!!!

Also of great importance to deciphering the origins of these pieces are holders, sales literature and similar ephemera. This material can provide associations between tokens, positive identification of the token manufacturer, or a date of manufacture.

Ephemera

Detailed variety listing
Wide range of materials, see list and descriptions.

Reverse designs are identified as follows

Bears

Index of bear types
Some design, usually with a 1/4 or 1/2 in the middle and foliage around, and always with a bear at the bottom. More often than not, the "bear" actually has little resemblance to a real bear. This link takes you to a secondary index.

Wreaths

Index of wreath types
Various shape wreaths, ranging from a plain vine to very ornate, typically with a date in the middle and "CALIFORNIA GOLD" either inside the wreath or outside the wreath. This link takes you to a secondary index.

Charm #1

Detailed variety listing
CALIFORNIA *GOLD* CHARM without decoration.
RARE

Lord's Prayer

Detailed variety listing
Various small gilt medals with the Lord's Prayer on the reverse.
These don't have any linkage to Calgold tokens except the size.

"Medallic Portraits of Washington" by Rulau and Fuld, 1999, lists a 1/4 dollar size gold Masonic token with the head of Washington on the obverse.

*********************************************************************
*********************************************************************
*********************************************************************
Tokens that defy categorization by the above scheme

The one sided shell pieces may have been made as ornamentation for clothing.

*********************************************************************
Octagonal 1/4 size
*********************************************************************

1871 13 star Indian head. Reverse has "LIBERTY WASH" above, .999 FINE.GOLD below, with a blank center. The token may be 0.999 fine gold plated or filled, but it is not solid at that fineness. There appears to be a seam on the reverse around the rim, as if this were made from two pieces soldered together. The Indian head is the same style as that on Hart's state gold tokens, but is devoid of detail and the denticulation is like that seen on the Wreath 1 type tokens.

*********************************************************************
Round 1/4 size
*********************************************************************

Portrait of Balboa with name around top. One sided shell with no reverse.

Pure platinum medal issued by the Franklin mint to commemorate Apollo 17. These exist for Apollo 11 & 15 also, so presumably there exists a series of these. Good thing this is pure platinum, as the Franklin mint packaged it in direct contact with cardboard and held in a clear soft vinyl envelope.

*********************************************************************
Octagonal 1/2 size
*********************************************************************

Modern copy from Japan*
Liberty head 1854 slanted below, 8 stars around. Crude head.
1/2 inside circle of dots, "CALIFORNIA GOLD" above "* * * * *" below

1872 13 star Liberty ***ONE SIDED SHELL***. Head copies the Belemere 1/2 dollar design

*********************************************************************
Round 1/2 size
*********************************************************************

Undated Garfield (could be Grant)? medal. Borderline between $0.25 and $0.50 size. Apparently RARE. Not seen on prior listings. See also 1881 round 1 and wreaths.

The ANS inventory lists a 10mm Garfield token with "1881" as the entire legend on the reverse. It is listed a brass. See http://www.amnumsoc.org/lookup.cgi?string=0000.999.41425

13 star Indian with detail-less feathers. One sided shell with no reverse.

Knight on horse, "TRIENNIAL CONCLAVE SAN FRANCISCO 1883" reverse. Presumably issued for the conclave of the Knights Templar in San Francisco in 1883. Apparently this was a major get together, including a march (parade?), music written, souvenir brochures, etc.

No date gold religious medal, 1/4 Ducat weight (1/2 dollar) but 1 dollar diameter. One side shows Jacob and an Angel fighting with the legend "SEEGNE MICH.", the other side shows Jacob and an Angel walking side by side with the legend "BEHUTE MICH.". Apparently 18k gold or so.

*********************************************************************
Round 1 size
*********************************************************************

Liberty head with 8 stars around. Cross hatch pattern on coronet
Reverse blank. Apparently hand engraved on gold fill blank

1849 California souvenir. Seen in a white colored metal also.

1881 Garfield memorial medal. Borderline between $0.50 and $1.00 size. Apparently RARE. See also the Wreaths index for other Garfield small gold medals. In March 8, 1988 "Numismatic News" Jay Roe advertised "67. 1881 round (1/4) & (1/2) Garfield Assassination set, PL-AU....$350" which may indicate that there exists a smaller version of this token.

1912 California gold medal produced by Elder. DeLorey 104 (Brasher Bulletin picture, by Jay Roe). DeLorey reports 25 struck in 14K gold. See also Panama Gold listings (currently at the end of the not-California index) for other tokens by Elder with the same obverse.

The ANS museum has this in Aluminum, Copper, Brass? (3 of these), GS (whatever that is), and also in Gold.

1915 Panama Pacific medal. Burnie D6. This example brought $1265 as lot6609 in the Heritage CSNS 5/2000 signature sale.
Photo courtesy of Heritagecoin.com

1926 Philadelphia Expo medal. This sure looks like gold but isn't. Unlisted in H-K.
The ANS has one listed under 1927.9.2

1939 1 dollar medal from the Golden Gate International Exposition. Struck in gold, silver, and copper; with most of the survivors being gold.

1939 medal from the Golden Gate International Exposition. The illustrated piece is gilt-copper. Only 50 struck, according to Hibler and Kappen.

1939 medal from the Golden Gate International Exposition. The illustrated piece is gold and marked 10K. Photo of token from the David Showers collection.

silver brooch picture.

1939 medal from the Golden Gate International Exposition. The illustrated piece is sterling silver and so marked.

1939 medal from the Golden Gate International Exposition. The illustrated piece is gilt sterling silver. Picture of token from the Golden State collector.

1940 medal from the Golden Gate International Exposition. The illustrated piece is sterling silver and quite rare. Reportedly struck from the 1939 dated dies, recut.

1940 medal from the Golden Gate International Exposition. The illustrated piece is sterling silver, dated 1939 and counterstamped "40".

Besides the 7 tokens illustrated above, I have confirmed the existance of the following:
In addition, the following Charbneau tokens have been reported by fairly reliable sources:
1939 gold, denominated as 1 *, rather than 1D, with 10K SOLID GOLD
1940 gold, denominated as 1 *, rather than 1D, with 10K SOLID GOLD
1940 gold, denominated as 1 *, rather than 1D, with 22K over 10K SOLID GOLD

Rumor has it that the following exists
1939 gold, with 40 counterstamped in the upper left obverse field (GGIEnut)
1939? gold, marked 14K (D Bullowa auction sale 10/49)

1939? gold, marked 22K (D Bullowa auction sale 10/49)

1939 platinum, same dies as gilt copper? Listed in H-K.

Plain copper strikings are reported in HK, but nowhere to be found.

1959 token struck in 0.900 fine gold by James Thomas Mangan for the "Nation of Celestial Space" (Celestia for short). Mangan laid claim to all of space in Jan 18, 1949. The obverse shows Ruth Mangan, James Mangan's daughter with "MAGNANIMITY" on the head band. Initially sold for $6.50 each, but the price was later raised to $10 each. See "Numismatic Scrapbook" Feb 1960, page 571 and "The Numismatist" Dec 2001 for more information. Apparently there are 4 total varieties: 1959 and 1960 UNC (as shown) and 1960 and 1961 proof (not seen). The reported mintages are 540 in 1959 and 200 in 1960.

1960 token struck by James Thomas Mangan for the "Nation of Celestial Space". See 1959 token for more information.

1961 token struck by James Thomas Mangan for the "Nation of Celestial Space". See 1959 token for more information, please don't clean your coins!

1982 token struck for the World's Fair at Knoxville, Tennessee. Similar in quality to the 1986 Vancouver World's Fair token. Obvserse shows a flame? Reverse shows the fair grounds with fireworks above.

*********************************************************************
Larger than 1 size
*********************************************************************

Index of larger tokens and medals
Diverse designs and shapes, not all from California. Some from expositions, some fakes, some commemoratives, etc. Look here for Elder tokens that don't fit into the other categories.

*********************************************************************

Other: not California gold and incomplete descriptions

*********************************************************************





Detailed variety listing

  Miniature gold copies of genuine, mostly USA coins.  Most claim to be 14k gold.



Round

Indian head 10 stars
Animal (unidentified) with 1846 above, 2 palm? branches with "CALIFORNIA GOLD"
in wide arc above that.





Detailed variety listing

  Diverse designs mostly with markings identifying them as not California tokens



Notes

* Part of a 10 coin set, purchased in Feb 2000 new in plastic holder.
Labeled "Made in Japan"  "SOUVENIR CALIFORNIA GOLD TOKENS" "UNCIRCULATED TYPE SET"
I have heard claim that these were available in the 1960s (set #1)

** All in a similar style and possibly from a broken up set

*** Seen on "California Souv. Gold Story" card (set #3)

**** Seen in "CALIFORNIA GOLD TOKEN SETS" plastic case with white tissue insert (set #4)

***** Purchased in a cased set without retaining insert (set #5)

6* "CALIFORNIA SOUVENIR TOKENS" cased set.  Although the tokens in the set that I have seen
   are solid brass, each of these tokens have been seen in solid gold.  The brass tokens are
   uniformly 0.7mm thick, while the gold tokens are uniformly 0.5mm thick and pink in color.

7* "CALIFORNIA GOLD" with card and order form "Goldine" metal.  Originals
   worth $16.50 to $35 (similar to Burnie prices).  $0.75 each, $4/set of 7
   $12/assortment of 25

8* Group of 6 matching quality gilt-brass tokens offered together.  No original packaging.
   Bear5, Bear12, Wreath4d, Wreath6