1856-S $3.00 PCGS AU58

Medium S mintmark. This is the variety with recutting at the top right of the mintmark and a crack forming at the left foot of the second L in DOLLARS. The 1856-S is the most available of the San Francisco Three Dollar gold pieces but it is scarce in properly graded AU58 and very rare in Uncirculated. This frosty slider has a considerable amount of luster on the surfaces and just a slight amount of friction on the cheek and hair. A few ticks can be seen on the surfaces but this piece is much cleaner than usual for the date and it represents one of the nicer 1856-S Threes that I have seen or handled in the last few years. The last PCGS AU58 example of this date to trade at auction was Heritage 1/12: 6264 that brought $6,900.

1858 $3.00 PCGS AU58

The 1858 is among the rarest Three Dollar gold pieces from the Philadelphia mint but it doesn't get the publicity of other issues such as the 1865 and 1877. Just 2,133 were produced and this is an issue that is almost never seen above AU55. In fact, there have been no AU58's sold at auction since 9/08 and the last PCGS AU58 to cross the auction block was in 6/06. This lightly worn piece is very lustrous but it does show some scattered ticks on the surfaces as is so common with this date. If you can even find an Uncirculated 1858 three dollar, it would cost around double the price of this nice slider.

1847-O $5.00 NGC VF25 CAC

There are not many gold coins priced at less than $5,000 that can be described, without threat of contradiction, as "rarest date of the type from the New Orleans mint." The 1847-O is one of these and it is the single rarest Liberty Head half eagle from this mint. The present example is evenly worn and problem-free with nice light green-gold color and a complete lack of problems. The 1847-O is actually a rarer coin than issues like the 1861-C and 1861-D half eagle but it is still priced at a very affordable level. I recently listed a nice PCGS VF35 example of the 1847-O half eagle and it received multiple orders within hours of being posted on my website. If you missed that coin and are still in the market for a nice 1847-O, this may be the last shot you get for some time.

1872 $3.00 PCGS MS61

Only 2,000 business strike 1872 Three Dollar gold pieces were struck and, unlike some of the low mintage dates from the next decade, this date saw circulation and was not hoarded by speculators. There are fewer known in Uncirculated than the population figures at NGC and PCGS would suggest and this is compounded by the fact that some of the examples graded MS60 to MS62 are questionable as to their "newness." This piece, which is sem-prooflike and very appealing, is free of any rub or wear and it would grade at least a point higher were it not for a small old scrape below the left side of the first S in STATES. The surfaces show a nice light rose and orange-gold patina and the reverse is very choice with especially clean fields. I have always believed that this is one of the most undervalued dates in the entire Three Dollar series and it is not easy to find much nicer than the present example.

1861 $3.00 PCGS MS62

For many denominations, mintage figures in 1861 at the Philadelphia mint were quite high. But this is not the case with the 1861 Three Dollar as only 5,959 examples were produced. A few hundred examples exist in all grades with most in the EF45 to AU55 range. Nice Uncirculated examples are scarce and this date is rare in MS63 and above. This example is a pleasing light yellow gold with rich, satiny luster. The surfaces show the typical horizontal striations seen on all business strikes of this year but there are no marks of note and the strike is sharp. Last year there were only two MS62 examples of this date sold at auction. One, graded by NGC, brought $9,775 while the other, in a PCGS holder, sold for $9,488. Trends jumps to $16,500 in MS63 which makes this MS62 a good value for the Civil War collector seeking a special 1861 Three Dollar piece for his set.

1846 $2.50 NGC PR64 CAM CAC

Before the U.S. Mint began producing Proof gold coins in any sort of quantity in 1858, a limited number of proofs were struck in certain years. In 1846, it is belived that around four or five gold proof sets were made and today there are four 1846 quarter eagles known including two that are impounded in museums (Smithsonian and ANS). The other known example is the Trompeter/Eliasberg coin that appears to be graded PR65 by PCGS; it last sold in the 2/91 Superior sale for $52,800. The current coin, from the famous Pittman collection, has a pedigree going back well over a century and it is sourced from an original 1846 proof set that has been broken up. It has the look of a Gem with superb rich amber color over very reflective surfaces that are nearly free of hairlines. An old scratch on the obverse between stars nine and ten removes this from a higher grade and serves as immediate identification. With the exception of the 1841, Proof quarter eagles from the 1840's and early 1850's are virtually unknown and tend to be come available at major auctions. This is a remarkable opportunity for the collector or investor to own a truly monumental piece of American numismatics and it is a remarkable combination of rarity, beauty and provenance.

Ex Heritage 1/11: 5335 ($106,375), earlier part of an 1846 Proof set in the Pittman sale (lot 1712) that brought $522,500; obtained by Pittman from Numismatic Gallery in 1949 and before this part of an original 1846 gold proof set that was in Ed Frossard's November 1892 sale.

1857-S $3.00 PCGS AU58 CAC

The San Francisco Three Dollar gold pieces were made in limited quantity and these were not saved by collectors. Of the 14,000 examples struck in 1857 at this mint, a few hundred survive but most are well worn and this is an extremely rare issue in Uncirculated with no more than three or four known. In the lower AU grades, the 1857-S is slightly scarce but it is rare in properly graded AU55 to AU58. In fact, PCGS has a current population of just seven in AU58 with a single example better. This piece is very lustrous with nice light yellow-gold color. A small amount of wear is limited to the high spots of the obverse and the surfaces lack the abundant marks that characterize the issue. The last PCGS AU58 example to sell at auction was ANR 3/05: 618 (which brought $14,950) and before this, a PCGS AU58 sold in the October 1999 Bass II sale. This means that only two (count 'em, two...) examples in PCGS have sold at auction in the last thirteen years. CAC has approved just two 1857-S Three Dollar gold pieces in AU58 and none in grades higher than this. If Three Dollar gold pieces were just a bit more popular than they are currently are, I could see this being a $20,000 coin. As it is, a great value and an important pierce for the specialist.

1883 $3.00 NGC MS63

With an original mintage of just 900 business strikes, the 1883 has one of the lowest production figures of any American gold coin. It is comparable to the 1885 three dollar (which has a mintage figure of just 801) and not as rare as the 1881 (with a mintage of 500). This example is semi-prooflike with attractive medium reddish-gold toning which is most fully developed at the obverse border and across much of the reverse center. There is a small sharp mark on the cheek of Liberty and a few light nicks in the upper right obverse field; the reverse appears to be of Gem quality. Auction appearances for MS63 1883 three dollar gold pieces seem to occur at the rate of about two or three a year and typically examples fetch in the $11,000-12,000 range.

1843-D $2.50 NGC AU58 CAC

Of the three primary denominations from this mint, the quarter eagle is probably the most difficult to find in crusty, original AU58. In the dollar denomination you have the 1849-D which is pretty readily available and there are a number of dates in the half eagle denomiantion that come in nice AU58 (or AU55) with some degree of regularity. This is not the case with the quarter eagles and even the 1843-D, which is the most available date, is infrequently seen in AU58, especially with good color and surfaces. This dark, original piece has superb rich green-gold color that is overlaid with splashes of orange. There is a good deal of dirt in the protetced areas and the strike is bold with almost fully formed centers. The surfaces are immaculate and I can virtually guarantee you that this piece has never been cleaned, scrubbed or dipped. A great looking coin and the best available Dahlonega quarter eagle that you are likely to find for under $4,000.

From the RYK "Dirty Gold" Collection.