1849-D
Gold Dollar - 1854-D Gold Dollar: Set of Two Gold Dollars
The
numismatic adventure can be enriched by acquiring groups of
coins in meaningful combinations. Sets of coins can run from
two pieces to many. In the areas of rare date and early silver
and gold coins we have established certain sets of special
interest. They include the first and last of an issue, type
sets, design sets, year sets, and those that are joined by
historical events such as the Civil War. The coins of each
set are specially selected for you and your collecting needs.
We are specialists in this
area and will expertly and confidentially help you assemble
a set similar to the one you see below, which is made up of
pieces from the US Rare Coin Investments’ archives.
We will cherry pick through millions of dollars of rare coins
selecting only the finest quality pieces for your collection.
A Set of First and
Last Dahlonega Mint Liberty Head Gold Dollars, 1849-D and
1854-D
The Liberty Head gold dollar
was issued from 1849 to 1854. Designed by James Barton Longacre,
it was the nation’s smallest gold coin, measuring
only 13 millimeters. The coin was struck at all four mints
that existed at the time, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Dahlonega,
and New Orleans. The design shows a portrait of Liberty
in profile facing left encircled by thirteen six-pointed
stars. She wears a LIBERTY inscribed coronet, and her hair
is tied in the back. Several loose curls flow down her neck.
Dentils are near the edge on both sides of the coin. The
reverse shows an open wreath tied at the bottom with a bow.
At the top of the wreath is a large numeral one, the denomination.
Below it is the word DOLLAR with the date below. The inscription
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is in an arc above the wreath and
the mintmark is below the knot of the bow.
The discovery of gold in
the early 1800’s led to the establishment of two of
the Southern branch mints, Charlotte North Carolina and
Dahlonega Georgia. In 1835 an act of Congress mandated that
these two branch mints would coin only gold. The New Orleans
Mint also opened to handle gold from Mexico. In 1838 the
first Dahlonega gold coins were made, and they were the
Classic Head half eagle type. Because of the local alloy’s
high silver content, Dahlonega gold coins often have a green-gold
cast. They are also often weakly struck on irregular planchets.
Dahlonega gold coins are eagerly sought by collectors and
investors because of their low mintages and rarity. Modern
D mint coins should not be confused with Dahlonega coins.
Today a coin bearing the D mintmark was minted in Denver,
which began production in 1906.
A large group of miners
came to the frontier town of Auraria, which is now Lumpkin
County, Georgia. Its name derives from aurum, the Latin
word for gold. Soon Dahlonega, which meant “yellow
money” in Cherokee, would become the county seat.
The miners’ need to convert oar and dust into bullion
led to the establishment of private coiners, including the
Bechtlers and Templeton Reid; however, because of a lack
of standardization, there was pressure for a federal coinage
to be created. The federal branch mint at Dahlonega was
established to meet this need.
1849-D
Gold Dollar - Despite the fact that
the 1849-D dollar is the most common Type 1 gold dollar
from the Dahlonega Mint, it is difficult to locate
in any grade today. It had a relatively small mintage
and is rare in higher grades. It is often seen with
a green-gold color and a weak central strike.
The pictured coin is a Mint State,
premium quality example. It has a very strong strike
for this issue with lustrous, untoned surfaces that
show no major distractions. There are some abrasion
marks in the left obverse field that account for the
grade.
1854-D
Gold Dollar - The 1854-D gold dollar
had a tiny mintage of 2,935. Because of this low mintage,
it is fundamentally rare in all conditions. Most examples
are heavily circulated and/or harshly cleaned. The
obverse is usually well struck for this mint, but
the reverse is always has central weakness. Raised
lines always appear to the left of the mintmark, and
they are diagnostic.
The illustrated coin is a rare, Mint
State example in an old NGC holder. It shows a better
than average strike with full details on the obverse
stars and the reverse wreath. The present piece shows
no wear, as expected for a mint state coin. It surfaces
are hard, original, clean, and, for the grade, free
of distractions. The horizontal lines next to the
mintmark are raised die lines and are diagnostic.
Bright mint luster shows within the devices and in
protected areas of both sides.
