1853 $10 Assay Office Ten Dollar, 900 Thous. PCGS AU53
Local merchants petitioned the U.S. Assay Office to issue lower denomination gold coins in early 1853 to deal with a chronic shortage of small change in the region. The Assay Office complied, issuing $10 and $20 coinage on an emergency basis from February 23 to March 1. But these coins were necessarily of lower fineness…