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Photos courtesy of Bowers and Merena
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This coin last sold at public auction April 1997 for $1,815,000 at the Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. auction conducted by Bowers and Merena. The 1804 Dollar may be the single most desired coin in all of numismatic history. The specimen shown above is a Class I "Original". 1804 Dollars are described as being in either Class I, II or III. Different reverse dies were used to strike them resulting in the different varieties, or "Classes" in this case. A total of 15 specimens are known to exist: 8-Class I coins, 1-Class II coin, and 6-Class III coins. At least one counterfeit/altered specimen is known to exist. It would be a good guess that over the years many more have been "created" via the inescapable, unscrupulous con artists seeking prey. Class I Dollars are referred to as "originals", while Class II and III are most often called "restrikes". This is a misnomer because no Dollars were struck in 1804 with an 1804 date. Huh? The Mint records show that 19,570 dollars were struck in 1804. Keep in mind though, that it was common practice to use dies from previous years (and dated as such) as long as they were still capable of producing acceptable coinage. It is therefore believed that the dollars struck in 1804 actually wear the date 1803. The American Numismatic Association has two 1804 Dollars. The Idler specimen is a Class III specimen, while the Cohen specimen is a Class I. The only Class II 1804 Dollar known to exist resides in our National Numismatic Collection in the Smithsonian. The Gallery Mint Museum offers some really incredible reproductions of the 1804 Dollar. |
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