Baldwin & Co designed a gold coin in 1850 which would be called The Horseman. This is due to the image on the coin’s obverse side, which depicts an image of a horse being ridden by a cowboy, while the reverse side shows an image which was typical of $10 Federal Eagle issues of the time. Acquiring an authentic Horseman is a significant achievement, and depending on the variant and condition of the coin can sell for tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. When most people think of gold coins from this time period, they think of coins which were manufactured by the federal government, but in fact, many private mints existed which produced their own coins, of which the Horseman was one of the most popular.

Also known as El Vaquero, a decision was made to reproduce them, using the same conditions and methods which would have been available to minters a century and half ago. Ron Landis, the director of Gallery Mint, was tasked with their creation, and did so through the usage of chisels which were hand held.

What Are The $10 49er Gold Horseman’s?

These coins are specialized commemoratives which were created to resemble the first Horseman coins which were manufactured by Baldwin & Co. They should not be confused with the originals, which are extremely rare and which can easily command over $100,000 each. These modern recreations are important in light of the California Gold Rush which was underway during the 1850s. They were also connected to the shipwreck of the S.S. Central America, which occurred about 150 years before the coin was created.

Coin Design Characteristics

Each of these coins consists of .54 ounces worth of gold which was taken from ingots which were assayed around 1857 through Justh & Hunter which were actually recovered from the shipwreck of the S.S. Central America. Production was limited to just over 4,000 units, and was painstakingly designed utilizing methods which would have been used during the 1850s. Every coin has been struck with a finish that is mirrored and is classified by PCGS as having a proof which is Deep Cameo. Those who purchase these coins are acquiring an important piece of history.

To enhance the value of these coins further, more than 15 grams of gold which are part of the original gold rush of California have been added to it. This is the same gold which was assayed during the 1850s, so they are the next best thing to the original Horseman coins which were actually struck during that era. This combined with the stunning finish which is mirror like, along with the detailed frost has made this one of the finest recreations to be produced in the modern era. Additionally, a counter stamp is present on the reverse side once the striking was completed so the exact ingot from Justh & Hunter could be determined.