1860-S $1.00 NGC MS63 CAC

The short-lived San Francisco gold dollars are a neat, highly collectable set. All of these issues (with the exception of the ultra-popular 1856-S) are extremely scarce and very undervalued in Uncirculated. The 1860-S is certainly no exception and there were only 13,000 pieces originally minted. Most survivors are in the EF45 to AU55 range and in Uncirculated this date is very scarce. I have only seen one Gem (a PCGS MS65 that sold for $21,850 in the ANR 1/06 auction) and no more than two or three accurately graded MS64 coins. The present example is one of the few 1860-S dollars in Uncirculated with natural color and surfaces. It shows nice medium to deep green-gold and pale orange hues with satiny, unmolested underlying luster. There are no marks of note and the strike is excellent with the detail and appearance of a P mint dollar as opposed to one from the San Francisco mint. Excellent value for the savvy collector and a really nice example of the second-to-last gold dollar from this facility.

1856-S $1.00 PCGS AU50

The 1856-S is the only Type Two gold dollar from the San Francisco and it is one of four one-year types of this design (along with the 1855-C, 1855-D and 1855-O). The 1856-S is not an especially rare issue but it is popular and very hard to find with original color and surfaces. This piece has lovely natural green-gold and orange hues on the obverse and reverse and it is nicer than most 1856-S dollars that I see offered for sale in AU55 holders. This is the variety with the crazily doubled mintmark on the reverse (it is common but extremely cool) and there is a massive obverse crack from the throat down into the left field.

1858-D $1.00 NGC AU55

This is as original an example of this popular Type Three issue as you are likely to find with deep, natural green-gold and reddish colors atop clean surfaces. The strike is well above average for the issue with strong lettering, a sharp date and a full mintmark. While actually fairly available by the standards of Dahlonega gold dollars of this era, the 1858-D is not easy to locate with original surfaces and this piece is really exceptional from the standpoint of appearance. It would be hard to find a better example at this price point and this coin is just perfect for a new collector who is getting started with a Dahlonega type set.

1883 $1.00 NGC PR64 Cameo CAC

A total of 207 were Proof gold dollars were minted in 1883. Based on the PCGS and NGC population data, I'd guess that as few as 50-60 are known with most of these in the PR64 to PR66 range. This example has incredible eye appeal for the grade with the naked eye appearance of a coin that grades at least a point or two higher. There is a small mint-made lintmark right at the tip of the bust that NGC must have felt limited the grade but there are a virtual absence of hairlines or friction on the cheek that you typically see on Proof coins of this era graded 64. In my opinion, a coin like this is simply outstanding value as it is one of the few legitimately scarce pieces of Proof gold you can buy in this price range that is not terribly impaired or relatively common. This is the only 1883 gold dollar in PR64 to have been approved by CAC; three finer examples have been approved as well.

1859-D $1.00 PCGS AU55 CAC

Old Green Label holder. By today's standards, I grade this coin a solid AU58. While showing a typical strike with some weakness at this center, there is little else that is "typical" about this coin. It shows attractive deep, even green-gold color on the obverse and reverse with a good deal of underlying luster. Some dirt can be seen within the lettering on the obverse and the surfaces are very clean with no major abrasions or mint-made defects notable to the naked eye. While probably the most available Dahlonega gold dollar of the Type Three design, it is never easy to locte an affordable example of this date with original surfaces and good overall eye appeal.

1854-S $1.00 PCGS AU55

Old Green Label Holder. By today's standards I think this coin is right in the middle of the "line" between an AU55 and an AU58. The 1854-S is the first gold dollar struck at the new San Francisco mint and this makes it a very significant coin from a numismatic perspective. This lustrous example is sharply struck and very lustrous. It shows some minor areas of mint-made roughness on both the obverse and reverse which is understandable when one considers that this is the San Francisco mint's first attempt at striking the challenging Type One design. A small mark on the face appears to be the result of contact from another coin many years ago. It is not easy to find this date in the higher AU grades with good eye appeal and this is a nice coin for the date and grade. In my opinion, a very undervalued issue, given its historic importance.

1862 $1.00 PCGS PR66DCAM CAC

I'd like to think that I'm not overly prone to hyperbole when it comes to describing coins but I'm going to go out on a limb and state that this 1862 Proof dollar is one of the single best looking pieces of Proof gold that I have seen in years. It has remarkably strong contrast between the devices and the fields and it has clearly never been dipped or processed as have most Proof gold coins. A careful look at the surfaces with a 5x glass shows virtually no marks and a total absence of hairlines. A total of 35 Proof gold dollars were struck in 1862. Some were not sold and others were later impaired. All told, there at most fifteen known of which maybe four or five are Gems. The present example is clearly the second finest, trailing only the Eliasberg: 50 coin which was later sold as Scotsman 10/08: 790 (and graded PR67 Ultra Cameo * by NGC) where it brought a record $51,750. Proof gold coins of this quality, regardless of date or denomination, are almost never available and the fact that this amazing piece is a rare issue and a Civil War date makes it especially desirable.

1858 $1.00 NGC PR66UCAM

The U.S. Mint began selling Proof coins directly to the public in 1858 and this proved to be quite popular. The exact mintage figure for Proof 1858 gold coinage is not recorded but it is thought that the number of dollars struck was somewhere in the range of 30-40. Around half of these are known today and most of the survivors grade in the PR64 to PR65 range and are characterized by planchet problems and lintmarks. The present example is the second finest known 1858 Proof gold dollar that I am aware of, trailing only Stacks 11/09: 1778, graded PR67 Ultra Cameo by NGC, that sold for a rousing $92,000. The present example is superb with stark black and white contrast and lovely natural yellow-gold coloration. The surfaces are fully reflective and lack any marks which might serve as identification. At the recent FUN show I was able to view a PCGS PR66 Cameo example of this date which was a lovely coin but, in my opinion, technically inferior to this piece. It was priced at $52,000. Here is one of the few pre-1860 Proof gold coins that can be purchased in superb gem for under $50,000 and it would make a wonderful addition to an advanced set of proof U.S. gold coins.

1864 $1.00 PCGS MS67 CAC

A total of 5,900 business strike gold dollars were coined in 1864. Around 2-3% of the original mintage survives today and many of these come from overseas sources where they were shipped during the Civil War to pay foreign creditors. This particular example is among the finest known and has the sort of color and appearance that are suggestive that it may have come from the Virgil Brand estate. Both sides show dramatic rose, orange and yellow hues in a swirling configuration. The strike is bold and the surfaces are very clean. Some light clashmarks can be seen on the obverse and the central reverse displays a few very minor ticks. CAC has approved just this one 1864 gold dollar in MS67 with a single coin better; a PCGS MS68 that sold for $27,600 as Heritage 8/11: 7412. Here is a coin that has it all: superb appearance, real numismatic rarity and historic significance due to its Civil War date.