IMMITATION SLUGS
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The two main references for these pieces are T.J. Jankovskys reference guide: "So-called Slugs and Facsimiles" ; and The Bill Weber auction catalog from December 2008 held in Reno Nevada by Holabird-Kagin Americana. The slugs that I show here are only a fraction of what exists. For a copy of T.J. Jankovsky's reference guide, send an email to: coins@jankovsky.net. Also, Click Here for an NGC Article on $50 Slugs.
374) Listed as HK425A in the Jankovsky reference. Rare imitation gold slug from the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition. It has sold for quite a bit of money, probably more than any other imitation slug. This one was from Stacks 2014 Americana auction lot #183. There was no example of this piece in the Bill Weber auction that I could find. Image Courtesy of Stack’s Bowers Galleries www.stacksbowers.com Shevlin/Hyder SH 18-33.
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375) Jankovsky #J213. Weber #5. Signed "C.G. Brinker S.F.". Has the small star embedded in the "5" of the 1850 date. The one shown here was originally from the 2008 Bill Weber auction. Very Rare. 40.5mm. Image Courtesy of Stack’s Bowers Galleries www.stacksbowers.com
376) Jankovsky #J140. Weber #23 Type 1. Struck by Irvine & Jachens. There are 2 main varieties of this piece, one minted after 1914, with a star embedded in the "5" of the 1850 date(look at #377a below), the other without the star(minted prior to 1913). Due to die cracking, there exists three die states of this earlier (prior to 1913) variety. The one shown here is from the earliest first die state with no cracks. The piece shown below is the cracked last or third die state. Image Courtesy of Stack’s Bowers Galleries www.stacksbowers.com
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377) Jankovsky #J149. Weber #23 Type 3. Same piece as the one above, but this one shows a cracked reverse die and is sometimes referred to as the third die state. The crack begins at the G of Gold and extends diagonally to the center where it meets up with another crack just to the left of the eagle's neck. This is probably the rarest of the three die states. Both obverse and reverse dies were soon taken out of service and replaced with new dies that were used to strike #377a(shown below). There is also a second earlier die state not shown here where the crack through the G of GOLD had not yet extended all the way to the center.
377a) A new set of dies were later used to strike the piece shown here after the dies that were used to strike #377(read above) were not longer usable. This variety is distinguishable from #376 and #377 by a small star that is struck within the 5 of the 1850 date. Image Courtesy of Stack’s Bowers Galleries www.stacksbowers.com
378) Jankovsky #J630. Weber #32A. California State seal. This is the more common "pointed 4" variety where the left point of the four in "49" is pointed. Probably struck in the 1940s. Very Scarce.
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379) Jankovsky #J640. Weber #32B. Same piece as above but with a "blunt 4". The left point of the 4 in "49" is blunted. According to the Bill Weber auction catalog, this piece was struck before the pointed variety and is 5 Times Rarer than the pointed variety. Rare.
380) The same as 32A above, but this one has been enameled. I have only seen one other of these. It was enameled differently. A neat novelty. Very Rare enameled variety.
381) Listed as "Exposition H&K Unlisted" on page 19 of the Jankovsky reference. A very rare variety that was not given a Weber number in the Weber auction, but can be found as lot #10402 in the catalog. Very Rare bordering on Extremely Rare. Evidently very few of these were made due to the misspelling of "Brinker" where an "S" was used in place of the "B". Very Rare bordering on Extremely Rare. Image Courtesy of Heritage Auctions www.ha.com. Shevlin/Hyder SH 18-29.
382) Listed as "HK 424 Variety" on pages 16 and 17 of the Jankovsky reference. Weber #8. This piece is similar to HK424, but is signed "Irvine and Jachens S.F." instead of "Brinker". This piece shows the same die roughness in the center of the PPIE logo as shown in the Weber auction catalog lot #10027. Rare.
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382a) Similar to #382 above, but from different dies. One of the main differences is the placement of the word DESIGN above PANAMA. HK-424 was struck using these same dies, but only after the Jachens name was changed to the Brinker name. Weber #10. Very Rare. Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions www.ha.com.
382b) Similar to #382 and #382a above, but with "Irvine & Jachens. S.F." changed to "C. G. Brinker S.F.". The S that was at the end of the Jachens name can sometimes be faintly seen after the R at the end of the name Brinker where the Brinker name was punched over the Jachens name. Thus #382b and #382a above were essentially struck from the same dies, where as #382 above was struck from completely different dies. Weber #11. Rare
383) Jankovsky #J906. Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Thompson Restaurants in 1906. Very Scarce, but more difficult in nice Unc.
384) Jankovsky #J120. Weber #24. Similar to Weber 23 above, but with the miner kneeling at the stream instead of standing. This piece comes in both coin turn and medal turn varieties. All examples evidently come with a star embedded in the "5" of 1850. Rare.
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385) Jankovsky #J130. Weber #25. Similar to Weber #24 above, but with no inscription and the addition of a shovel in the foreground of the miner scene. I have not seen many of these over the years. Very Rare.
385a) Souvenir Pioneer Days of California The Days of ’49. Weber #33 in December 2008 Bill Weber auction. Extremely rare variety.
385b) Fifty Dollar Imitation Gold Slug with Rays Target Reverse. Rare to Very Rare.
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