Obverse Image: Dot in the center, surrounded by four Chinese characters in a circle; Chinese text above denoing the date and below denoting mint; small rosaces to the right and left.
Obverse Text: Translation: 20 / CENTS / SILVER / COIN / MADE / IN / KWANG-SI / PROVINCE / 10th / YEAR / OF / THE / REPUBLIC
Reverse Image: Large "20" in the middle surrounded by English text; rosaces to the right and left.
Obverse Image: Liberty wearing a coronet and facing left. 13 stars around.
Obverse Text: LIBERTY / 1854
Reverse Image: Heraldic eagle with wings outstretched clutching arrows and branch in talons, shield over chest. Scrolls on either side of eagle, ring of 13 stars above eagle's head, rays of sun above stars.
Reverse Text: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / TWENTY D. / E PLURIBUS UNUM / S
Description
The sheer size of the California gold strike altered the nature of American numismatics. It was not only that mintage figures dramatically increased; the actual range of denominations increased as well.
Prior to 1849, there had been three gold coins: the quarter eagle, half eagle, and eagle (or $2.50, $5.00, and $10.00 coins). By 1854, three more had been added, a dollar, a three-dollar piece, and a double eagle, or twenty-dollar coin.
Artist James Barton Longacre designed all three of the new coins. The double eagle was the most popular. For its obverse, Longacre employed a simple head of Liberty, wearing a coronet. Stars surrounded the head of the goddess, and the date appeared below. The reverse depicted a somewhat ornate representation of an eagle, a "glory" of stars and rays above, the national motto to either side.
In 1854, the United States created a new branch mint in San Francisco to deal with the fruits of the gold rush. It was intended to replace a whole galaxy of private California mints that had created a variety of local coins.
This double eagle was the first coin the new federal mint struck. Below the eagle, each coin from the new branch Mint bore a distinctive small "S." This distinguished the coin from ones struck in Philadelphia, which had no such mark, and ones struck at New Orleans, which had an "O."
The California gold rush quickly gave the United States not one new gold coin, but two: a tiny gold dollar at the lower end of the monetary spectrum, and a large double eagle, or twenty-dollar coin, at the upper end. Why did Americans need more gold denominations?
So much gold was now coming out of California that it was actually lowering the value of that metal against silver. Bullion dealers began buying up silver dollars and half dollars for melting and export, for they were now worth more than face value as bullion. A Congressman from North Carolina had an idea: If gold dollars were struck, to pass at par with the silver ones, it might ease some of the pressure on silver coinage.
His bill was introduced late in January 1849. At the last minute, a provision was added for an entirely new coin, a double eagle. Thus amended, the bill became law on March 3, 1849. The production of gold dollars swung into action fairly quickly, and coinage had gotten under way by early May.
But the double eagles took longer. James B. Longacre, the artist selected to design the new large coin, encountered initial opposition from Mint officials, and it was late December before the first two pattern double eagles could be struck. One disappeared long ago, leaving this as the only surviving gold pattern from 1849.
One (1) sang p'yong t'ong bo coin, P'yongan Provincial Office
Korea, 1883
Obverse Image: Four Chinese characters read top, bottom, right, left
Obverse Text: Romanization: SANG / P'YONG / T'ONG / BO (Translation: Always Even Currency)
Reverse Image: Character for P'yongan Kamyong, P'yongan Provincial Office at top, character for "equal to" to the right, character for five to the left, character for five to the bottom.
Reverse Text: Romanization: P'YONG / TANG / O / O (Translation: P'yongan Kamyong, P'yongan Provincial Office, Equal to, Five, Five). General Information: Value Five
One (1) sang p'yong t'ong bo coin, Government Tithe Office
Korea, 1807
Obverse Image: Four Chinese characters read top, bottom, right, left
Obverse Text: Romanization: SANG / P'YONG / T'ONG / BO (Translation: Always Even Currency)
Reverse Image: Kyunyokch'ong, character for Government Tithe Office at top, character for "equal to" on the right, character for five to the left, character for four to the bottom.
Reverse Text: Romanization: KYUN / TANG / O / SA (Translation: Kyunyokch'ong Government Tithe Office, Five, Four).
