1787 Fugio Cent - New Haven Restrike, Gold

Coin Details

Description

Among the most precious and exclusive pieces in all of Fugio cent numismatics, this gold New Haven restrike was produced circa 1858-1860s when Horatio N. Rust obtained access to surviving Fugio cent dies and struck extremely limited quantities in various metals for the collector market. Gold restrikes represent the pinnacle of the New Haven restrike hierarchy — produced in far fewer numbers than copper or brass examples, they combined the intrinsic value of the gold metal with the historical cachet of the Fugio cent design, America's first federally authorized coinage. The gold composition gives each piece significant bullion value beyond its numismatic importance, and the rarity of gold restrikes has made them among the most expensive Fugio-related pieces when they appear at auction. The design faithfully reproduces Benjamin Franklin's celebrated 1787 Fugio cent: the obverse sundial with FUGIO and MIND YOUR BUSINESS, and the reverse chain of thirteen links encircling WE ARE ONE. Cataloged within the Newman reference system under the New Haven Restrike grouping, this gold striking exists in a category shared by only a handful of known specimens. The New Haven restrikes in all metals document a chapter of 19th-century numismatic entrepreneurship, when the growing American collector community created demand for pieces that were already rare and historically significant, and gold strikings represented the ultimate expression of that demand — the rarest metal used for the most iconic early American design.

Rarity Notes

Extremely rare. Gold restrikes are among the rarest Fugio-related pieces.

Cross References

Newman; New Haven Restrike, gold