It is an 1854 California Quarter Dollar, again something I have only read about and never imagined finding!
In my six hours of researching these on the internet, it appears there are massive counterfeits of these coming in from China. Apparently, many are lead with a gold wash, but some may contain up to 12% gold. However, the counterfeits all have six common errors in their design. Two on the obverse and four on the reverse. Well, those were the ones I could find anyway! So, I have given you nice blow ups to compare yours with - just in case..... Also, a new set of dies where cut in 1883 to supply these to the tourist industry in California - the Chinese copies are based on this die version! The original and die copies were lost in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
So, known population of real ones is at 400. 360 of them came from the wreck of the SS Central America and are in mint state condition. Mine is one of the 40 which were actually used! I think in this case I like that idea, California gold, minted in California, used by perhaps the very miners whom sluiced out the gold in the first place!
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