1895-S BARBER 50C MS66+

Much like this fantastic half dollar, the C.A. Thayer was a product of California manufacturing in 1895. The schooner however was built a bit farther north than San Francisco, in Eureka, CA and is one of the last remaining historical vessels of the State’s logging and fishing past. Its original purpose was as a timber shipper, but it picked up other jobs as the years passed. From 1912 to 1924 it sailed north to assist in the Salmon-Salt trade of Western-Alaska and from 1925 to 1930 it participated in cod fishing. During these times the Thayer would rarely travel away from the coast of California, until the U.S. military commissioned it during both World War I and II. Despite being one of the sturdiest ships in the fleet, the C.A. Thayer could not float forever. In 1957, she was finally retired and purchased by the State of California in 1966. Due to her travels and prominent stance in Californian history – and as the only vessel surviving from 1895 – she was officially dedicated as a National Historical Landmark in 1984.