1855 Kellogg $50 SS Central America Commemorative Restrike. Completely original, with all accompanying documents in the box and the coin certified by PCGS (although not graded, as none of these pieces are). These are wonderful reproductions of one of the most impressive territorial gold coins, the 1855 $50 Kellogg slugs. Although a modern restrike, these are beautifully produced pieces, made from gold that was recovered from the S.S. Central America.

The 1855 Kellogg $50 territorial gold pieces are extremely rare, with less than a dozen pieces known in all grades. They were proposed in the final period of California territorial gold, when the San Francisco Mint was unable to meet the demand for gold coin. In both 1854 and 1855, $20 pieces were made by Kellogg & Co., and the $50 was made in proof format only. It is unknown if these are just presentation pieces, or if these were seriously considered for coinage.

The restrikes of these pieces, which we offer here, were made in September 2001. The date of Mintage can be seen engraved on the reverse, and correspondents to the dates the S.S. Central America was sailing on her last voyage. The ship, carrying massive amounts of gold in various forms, sank of the coast of South Carolina in 7,200 feet deep water.

The shipwreck, carrying a fortune in gold, was discovered in 1985. After a long legal battle, the proceeds were finally divided in 1996 and the sale of the coins could start. Marketed the “ship of gold” it became clear that immense fortunes had been found. Among these were original gold bars by many Californian companies, including Kellogg & Co.

If you are interested in owning a piece of Californian history, contact us now. These restrikes are struck from gold recovered from the shipwreck of the S.S. Central America, and are made out of original Kellogg & Co. bars. They contain an amazing 2.5 ounces of gold, and are only slightly different from the original pieces. These large gold coins are certified by PCGS in a special, commemorative holder especially made for these restrikes. We are also always interested in buying these pieces of art, so contact us if you have any of the 5,000 restrikes for sale.