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About Ronald Fern
Expertise
I can answer most all questions relating to US coins, tokens, and currency. I'm not strong on world coins or ancients. Primary field of expertise is errors and varieties. Over 55 years experience in coin collecting. Part time dealer since 1976. Employed by McDonnell Douglas/Boeing for over 34 years as an Industrial Engineer/Technical Specialist before retiring in 2002.

Experience
Worked weekends for "Lonesome" John in the late 1960's to mid 1970's processing error coins, packaging, and preparing orders. Worked with John Devine and Fred Weinberg on several California Error A Rama's in the early 1970's. Served as display judge at annual Error-A-Rama coin shows. Opened and operated mail order coin business DBA "CAL ERRORS" in 1976. Contributer to Alan Herbert's "Official Price Guide To Mint Errors" and Fivaz/Stanton "Cherrypickers' Guide". Worked Saturdays at Huntington Beach Coin Exchange 1980-1999. Had table and sold coins at a number of coin and gun shows in So CA, AZ and NV. Sell coins, tokens and currency currently st my space in the Pomona Antique Center. Past "Errorscope" Editor. Presently CONECA Examiner.

Organizations
ANA, CONECA, CWTS, NLG

Publications
Errorscope, Numismatic News, Civil War Token Journal, Error and Variety News

Education/Credentials
AA Degree LBCC pre Engineering, 1964 BS Degree CSULB Ind Technology, 1968

Awards and Honors
1st Place EAR Trophy for Civil War Token Errors, NLG Author of Year Award for best monthly coin column "Error News and Views" in small Numismatic paper, owned and published by Ray Anthony.

You are here: Experts > Shopping > Coin Collecting > Coin Collecting > Blake & Co. Assayers coin

Coin Collecting - Blake & Co. Assayers coin

Expert: Ronald Fern - 11/9/2009

Question
I also have a $20 gold coin with Blake & Co. assayers on it. One side has Sac. California gold, 20 Dolls, SMV .900, 1855 and the other side has Blake & Co. (4 dots in the shape of a cross) Assayers with a 20 in the center & circles around it. How would I determine if this coin is real?

Answer
Hi Kim:

Blake and Co. were assayers in 1854 in California. It is also the year the San Francisco mint started and private companies were ordered to stop production of coins.

There's a strong chance your item is a replica. Only 2 known genuine specimens exist, one in the Smithsonian and the other was in the Bank of California coin collection. This 1855 date is one of the most commonly encountered gold rush replica coins. It is a copy of a Blake and Company $20 gold piece. Those brass copies show a coining press on one side and concentric circles on the other. Chrysler Corporation mass produced these replicas in 1969 as part of a promotion for their "Gold Duster" car, and they are still fooling people to this day. The reproduction coins were not struck in solid gold, so that is a quick way to tell if you own a reproduction. A real Blake and Company $20 gold piece weighs 32.9 grams, but the copy weighs less.

This "coin" is copied fairly often and offered for sale on eBay. There is one listed for about $5. If you look at it under a loupe, you should see that it is roughly cast and you may be able to see the underlying metal (grey) through the plated surface. If you drop it on a glass surface (table top), the replica coin will make a dull sound compared to a real coin.

See Link: http://cgi.ebay.com/1855-Blake-Co-Assayers-20-Sac-California-Token_W0QQitemZ1503...

For some interesting history on this item, see the below links.

See Link: http://www.coinfacts.com/pioneer_gold/blake_and_company/blake_and_company.html

See Link: http://www.reisbord.com/goldrusassayers.htm

You may want to check eBay listings in the California gold category or exonumia (tokens) under coins and currency from time to time to see if items like yours are listed and what they are going for.

If real it is valuable and should be sent to (ANACS, PCGS or NGC) a third party grading and certification service. If you still think it is authentic and need help finding a qualified coin person in your area feel free to a follow-up question back for the information.

Please remember to go to the experts site to rate this answer. And check the nomination box on the rating page below any comments you may have.

Thank You and Good Luck in your collecting.

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