The 1856-D is numismatically significant as the first Type Three gold dollar made at the Dahlonega mint. This is the third rarest gold dollar from this mint after the 1861-D and the 1855-D and it is the second rarest (after the 1855-D) in high grades. There are an estimated 75-100 known in all grades and properly graded AU55 examples with natural color and choice surfaces are extremely hard to find.

This very choice, original 1856-D dollar shows lovely medium to deep green-gold color, in slightly different hues, on the obverse and the reverse. The strike is better than average for this quirky issue with a nearly full date; the U in UNITED is virtually illegible. The surfaces are uncommonly choice with just a few ancient old nicks visible below magnification. This is such a hard issue to find with good eye appeal and this is one of the three or four nicest circulated 1856-D dollars that I have owned.

The last NGC AU55 to sell at auction, lacking CAC approval, realized $8,813. The last two PCGS AU55′s, also without CAC approval, sold for $9,400 in January 2013 and $9,964 in November 2012.

Here is an unusual opportunity to acquire a truly choice example of this Dahlonega rarity for less than $10,000.

CAC has approved this one coin in AU55 with only one finer (MS60).