^Lot 1405 Gold Tonopah Token NV - Nye County, - 1905 - Numismatic

Obverse: miner with pick and shovel dated 1905 surrounded by 13 stars. Reverse: Tonopah Gold Nevada surrounded by wreath. Stars before and after Tonopah and star above wreath. The 1905 date on this coin corresponds with a period of great popularity of souvenir gold tokens in the West. This coin came to us in a Lewis & Clark Commemorative holder. The Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition was held in Portland, Oregon June 1 to October 14, 1905. Farran Zerbe supervised a numismatic display that was the "greatest ever at any exposition." Zerbe also directed the sale of U.S. Mint Lewis & Clark commemorative gold dollars and medals. The extreme rarity of this piece suggests that it is not a token made for common jewelry sale, but may be a piece made for a special occasion. Curiously, the consolidation of the Tonopah mines into major mining companies took place after this date. It also corresponds to an important point in Tonopah mining, when the mines began high production of ores. None of the small mills near the camp were adequate, and most shipped to ASARCO in Utah. The Tonopah Mining Company, the largest producer in camp, built a large mill to process their ores which contained native gold. This gold coin may have been made to commemorate that event. Brilliant uncirculated, well struck with Prooflike surfaces. 12mm. Finest known, several points higher than the Woodward piece that realized over $3,500 in our October 2010 auction. High R7 rarity rating with 4-6 known. An undervalued extreme rarity in fractional gold. There are only 3 specimens known to exist in the U.S.