Biographical dictionary of medallists: coin, gem, and seal-engravers, mint-masters, &c., ancient and modern, with references to their works B. C. 500-A. D. 1900; compiled by L. Forrer ...

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among which are the W.M. & Co. Five of 1852, the Schultz & Co.
Five of 185, the Baldwin Twenty of I851, and a reverse showing
an eagle and the inscription, " Pure California gold. " One of the
cards bearing a wax impression contained this memorandum:
"Impression taken from the die while it was being engraved in
the month of July, 1849, by A. Ktiner, engraver with Moffat & Co.
at the south east corner of Montgomery and Jackson Streets.
"This was the Ten Dollar piece of Moffat & Co. of 1849, but
it had neither date nor inscription, and was the first private coin of
the denomination to be issued in the extensive Califbrnia series.
"He was paid $ 6oo for the die for the first State Seal of California and in I883, when it became necessary to renew it, journeyed to Sacramento and engraved the new seal, for which he
received $ 300. He stated to Mr. Schaezlein that he received as
much as $ 5oo for a pair of coin dies in the pioneer days. A wax
impression of the first seal was in his possession for many years,
but was destroyed in the fire of I900. There was a great scarcity
of metal in San Francisco in 1849, and when he received the
commission to engrave the seal he found it necessary to go around
the neighbourhood and pick up scraps of metal from which to
make the first die.
"In I862, when the Government of British Columbia contemplated an issue of local gold, the order to prepare the dies was given
to him and he cut those from which were struck the excessively
rare Ten and Twenty Dollar pieces, dated I862, and bearing the
name of " British Columbia", of which but few sets are known
to be in existence.
Before turning the dies to the Government of British Columbia,
he struck a few trial-pieces in silver on a coining-press which
Lemme Brothers had brought from Germany. The existence of
these trial-pieces seems to have been unknown until recently (one is
at the present time in the possession of Spink & Son Limr, London).
"Mr. Kuiner painted in water colours, and during his leisure
moments executed many exquisite examples of the engraver's art
in different materials, principally mother-of-pearl, which he presented to his wife and children from time to time. All of these
works, of which none was ever made on commission, were of
original conception and of the most delicate and artistic workmanship, and are still carefully preserved by various members of
his family.
"He engraved all the seals for Wells, Fargo & Co., from I852,
the first year of the firm's existence, until the day of his death.
"He died on January 23, I906, at the age of eighty six years,
being survived by a wife, three daughters,and one son."
Extracted from Edgar H. Adams, George Ferdinand Albrecht
Knier, American Journal of Numismatics, I912, p. 18-21.