OUTSTANDING CACG 1854-D THREE DOLLAR IN AU58

Legacy Cross; previously NGC/CAC AU58.

The 1854-D three dollar is the sole coin of this denomination produced at the Dahlonega mint. Only 1,120 were made and an estimated 10% of these still exist. Why are so many known? My best guess is that some were saved as souvenirs by locals. At least one-quarter of the known 1854-D threes have some sort of damage, and while there are 50 or so with claims to AU grades, I doubt if there are as many as a dozen with the eye appeal that this impressive coin shows.

The strike is really sharp for this issue with close to full denticulation seen on the obverse, as well as individual definition on many of the hair strands. The surfaces are very clean with none of the impairments seen on the typical 1854-D, and the color is a nice rose-gold and orange. This is one of the few 1854-D threes which have not been ravaged by harsh processing and it is certainly one of the two or three best AU58’s I’ve handled.

There are two APRs for PCGS/CAC AU58 at $192,000; one in January 2023, and the other in August 2022. The finest known—a PCGS/CAC MS62—sold for a record-setting $528,000 in the Stack’s Bowers 2022 ANA auction. Three NGC AU58 coins—none of which were comparable to this choice piece—have sold in the mid-90s in the last year+.

This piece is fairly priced and it is ready to take its place in a world-class set of three dollar gold pieces.

From the Seattle Collection of 1854-dated gold coins.

CAC has approved four coins in AU58 with just one finer.

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