The Type
2 Gold Dollars showed a Caucasian head of Liberty facing
left wearing a stylized feathered headdress. It is inscribed
LIBERTY on the headband. She is surrounded by the legend UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA. The reverse shows an open wreath of corn,
cotton, maple, and tobacco tied below with a bow. The wreath
encircles the denomination, 1 DOLLAR, and the date. The problem
with this Gold Dollar
was that it did not strike up well. In fact mint state examples
looked worn and, in some cases, so circulated that the date
could not be read on the coin. This problem most affected
the branch mint issues, which Longacre did not get to see
until afterwards. The proofs that he saw did not have this
as a problem. To remedy this situation, Longacre designed
the Type 3 Gold Dollars.
While the design was similar to the previous issue, Longacre
lowered the relief and moved the obverse head so as not to
be opposite a reverse relief area. This Gold
Dollar is called the Large Size or Large Head.
The Small
Head Gold Dollars had a mintage that ranged from a high
of 783,943 in 1854 to a low of 1,811 for 1855-D. The Large
Head Gold Dollars had as its highest mintage 1,762,936
in 1856 and a low of 400 in 1875.
The
5 in the date on the reverse is found Upright or Slanted;
Upright rarer variety; both types rare above MS63; proof
only Slanted 5, only 7 to 9 known.
Scarce
in all grades, extremely rare in Mint State, most are
well struck with good luster, often with clashed dies,
same date punch used for three-cent silver; proofs exceedingly
rare, only 25 to 35 known.
All
of these were issued by the Confederacy after they seized
the Mint at Dahlonega. No record was kept of the number
of coins struck, exceedingly rare in all grades.
Circulation
strikes come with Open and Closed 3's in the date; Closed
3 rare in all grades especially above MS62; Open 3 is
the more common variety, rare above MS64; proofs are only
known in the Closed 3 variety, exceedingly rare, 10 to
12 known.
