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TOKEN
Unique ID: LIN-801286
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
A copper-alloy 1849 California "Gold rush" gaming token in the form of a Liberty head half eagle gold piece.
The obverse depicts Liberty with a coronet in her hair, encircled by thirteen stars, symbolic of the thirteen original colonies (one star is missing due to a hole drilled through the coin). Below the head is the date 1849. The reverse depicts a "49er" gold miner with top hat crouching by a river. The miner holds a very large nugget. In front of him is a spade, and in the background are two palm trees. Above is the word 'CALIFORNIA', and below is the date 1849. The hole is located so that is is in front of Liberty and to the top right of the miner.
California gaming tokens date from the gold rush era and afterwards. They bear the obverse inscription 'California' or 'California Counter' or 'California Token' on them, and picture liberty heads, gold panners, flags, eagles, and bears (Stephen P. Albert and Lawerence E. Elman, 1992, Tokens and Medals - A guide to the Identification and Values of United States Exonumia). According to Fauver such contemporary 'gold rush' tokens were produced in Europe for use as gambling tokens (Fauver, L.B., Early California Counters (Oak Grove Publications, 1991)).
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: MODERN
Period from: MODERN
Date from: Circa AD 1849
Date to: Circa AD 1849
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Weight: 2.73 g
Diameter: 21 mm
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Sunday 25th September 2011
Personal details
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Materials and construction
Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Struck or hammered
Completeness: Complete
Numismatic data
No numismatic data has been recorded for this coin yet.
Spatial metadata
Region: East Midlands (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Lincolnshire (County)
District: West Lindsey (District)
Parish or ward: Fiskerton (Civil Parish)
Spatial coordinates
4 Figure: TF0572
Four figure Latitude: 53.234663
Four figure longitude: -0.42832
1:25K map: TF0572
1:10K map: TF07SE
Grid reference source: From a paper map
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.
References cited
No references cited so far.
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Timeline of associated dates
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