$50 Union Pattern Gold Coin
1877

The largest gold coin ever produced by the United States Mint
In 1877, faced with a temporary surplus of gold, officials at the U.S. Mint proposed the full-scale production of this $50 gold coin. It was a so-called pattern coin, one that was created as a full-scale model of a new design for presentation to Congress for approval before production began. The coin, which weighed 83.45 grams, contained 90 percent gold and 10 percent copper. It was the largest gold coin ever produced by the U.S. Mint. It never entered production.

	The Smithsonian owns both of the $50 union pattern gold coins in existence.
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