Variety 2. Date far to right.

The 1855-C is a popular issue as it is the only gold dollar from this mint which uses the short-lived Type Two design. It is not a particularly scarce issue (I rank it as the sixth rarest of nine gold dollars from Charlotte) but it is typically seen with poor eye appeal and is seldom offered in collector grades.

This piece is fresh to the market and it is notable for its intense deep rich russet color at the lower obverse and the upper reverse. It shows a typical weak strike but it has a pleasing planchet with less roughness than usual. There are mint-made clashmarks at the centers which add to the eye appeal; a few circulation marks in the fields are not especially detracting. One last thing: the date is especially sharp which I think makes this a very neat example; on most 1855-C dollars, the date is weak.

The last VF30 1855-C to sell at auction was Heritage 1/08: 3676 which brought $4,600. In Heritage’s January 2013 sale, a PCGS VF35 brought $4,700.

If you have been looking for a pleasing, affordable circulated Type Two gold dollar from Charlotte, this coin fits the bill and more.