| Description: |
Olive-gold iridescence, with some wisps of satiny mint lustre still surviving in the
protected areas. A desirable memento marking the San Francisco Mint's second year of
operation.The San Francisco Mint opened for business in 1854, approximately five years
after the commencement of the California Gold Rush. The Mint's arrival was long overdue in
the minds of many San Francisco residents who had occasionally suffered losses when local
private mints issued coins whose intrinsic values were less than their face values.
Additionally, California merchants were vexed when customs officials refused to accept the
locally manufactured private coins in payment for customs duties.
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