AN EMPEROR NORTON 50 CENT BOND

 

San Francisco, California. Imperial Government of Norton I. 1870s 50 Cents. PMG Very Fine 25.

No. 2890. A piece of ephemera by any objective measure. This item nonetheless has ties to one of the most colorful and eccentric personalities to call San Francisco home during the Nineteenth Century. The colorful history of this beloved eccentric and his rise to power and fame can be traced back to the late 1840s when San Francisco sat on the cusp of explosive growth thanks to the influx of prospectors and fortune-seekers attracted by the California Gold Rush from across the world and the United States.

Born in England in 1818, Joshua Abraham Norton emigrated with his parents to South Africa at the age of two, He came to California in 1849 where he worked as a commission merchant. Successful to a degree; Norton attempted to corner to the rice market in 1852 which nearly bankrupted him before subsequent legal battles left him destitute and essentially penniless. In September 1859, Norton would proclaim himself as "Emperor of the United States" in a rambling albeit brief and verbose manifesto that would be printed in the San Francisco Bulletin.

Norton would see his figure become almost larger than life in the 20 years that followed. From outlandish proclamations which "abolished" the United States Congress and the Democratic and Republican parties, Norton also saw fit to use his "power" in more mundane ways by levying a $25 fine on using the word "Frisco" instead of San Francisco (although some believe that story was fabricated in the early 20th century) or by issuing "Bonds of the Empire" like this one which offered fictitious returns of various percentages.

Such outlandish actions were met by Norton's figure which is best illustrated by his preference for wearing a disheveled uniform complete with a sword and other seemingly regal embellishments such as a beaver hat or umbrella. His presence even commanded the respect of San Franciscans, who would greet him as "your royal highness" or even shopkeepers who would often indulge in the "taxes" Norton would levy, sometimes without success.

Norton's reign would come to an end upon his death in January 1880. His legacy is a monument to his eccentric nature and seemingly colorful life defined by his larger-than-life figure that is largely confined to the pages of contemporary newspapers and history books and the minds of the relative few who know of him.

Few reminders of his "rule" survive in the present with hand-signed bonds like this one a rare sight at auction as most undoubtedly fell victim to the ravages of time and circumstance making this item a must-have for the numismatist who either calls San Francisco home or for someone who simply appreciates the more eccentric and unusual personalities that populate the annals of countless history books. This note is pictured in Paper Dreams in the Golden State on page 201. PMG comments "Stained."

To read the complete lot description, see:
San Francisco, California. Imperial Government of Norton I. 1870s 50 Cents. PMG Very Fine 25. (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1HF3U1/san-francisco-california-imperial-government-of-norton-i-1870s-50-cents-pmg-very-fine-25)

For more information on the Emperor Norton Trust, see:
https://emperornortontrust.org/

To read earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
WHEN WAS THE FIRST EMPEROR NORTON SCRIP ISSUED? (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n28a24.html)
EMPEROR NORTON 50 CENT BOND DISCOVERED (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n46a28.html)
SAN FRANCISCO'S EMPEROR NORTON (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n21a09.html)

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