1850 G$10 Baldwin Horseman, K-3

Coin / United States of America / 1850 / San Francisco / Baldwin / G$10

Baldwin’s earliest issue, the “Vaquero” or “Horseman” $10, is widely considered a masterpiece by collectors of pioneer gold coins. It was designed in early 1850 by Albrecht Kuner, originally for use by Kohler & Company whose equipment the firm purchased in March of 1850. Somewhere between 20 and 25 examples exist in private hands, with the finest known being a near gem BU. A handful of pieces are known in mint state, and any of these would probably merit inclusion in the condition census. The Baldwin Horseman’s design is the last privately minted California gold coin whose design is not loosely based upon a U.S. federal gold coin. The Horseman $10s edge is coarsely reeded, and appears to match the Miners’ Bank $10s, struck by Baldwin’s predecessor, Kohler & Company.