1849 Fairmont Collection Coins

Zachary Taylor was inaugurated as the 12th President of the United States on March 4, 1849. Taylor was a hero of the Mexican-American War and had a brief but consequential presidency. While the inauguration of a new president was a big moment, the biggest came across the continent in the west. The California Gold Rush began in earnest in 1849 when gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. This discovery led to a massive influx of prospectors and settlers, known as "Forty-Niners," who traveled to California in search of gold. The Gold Rush had a profound impact on the growth and development of California. The gold rush would leave the US Treasury flush with gold and lead to a jump in commerce.

1849 Fairmont Liberty Head Eagles

As had been the case for more than a decade, the 1849 $10 Liberty Head Gold Eagle Coin was produced by two branches of the United States Mint: the Philadelphia Mint and the New Orleans Mint. The Philadelphia Mint issued 653,618 coins, a figure that was then the second highest in program history and a number that would not be matched or surpassed until after the Reconstruction Era in the American South. In addition, the New Orleans Mint struck 23,900 coins.