double eagle (or $20 gold piece) ever made, plus it was issued as a direct result of the California Gold Rush. Besides being the ultimate rarity, this is also a coin with exceptional historical significance, for it is the very first U.S. Only one example of this coin is known to exist, and that specimen is locked away in the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution, making it unavailable - at ANY price - to collectors. (The buyer’s identity remains unknown.) What it’s worth today is anybody’s guess. Eliasberg Sr., was sold for $3.3 Million at an auction in Dallas, Texas. In January 2006 an authentic 1885 Trade Dollar which was previously owned by the legendary “King of Coins” banker, Louis E. 1885 “Trade” Silver Dollarĭesigned by William Barber, for some reason only five proof copies of this coin were ever printed. Actually, there were 12,400 no-arrows dimes minted in 1873 at the Carson City Mint, but because of the Mint Act of February 12, 1873, most of them were melted down, leaving only a handful for major collectors to fight over. Curious that with all the gold coins the Carson City mint made, its most valuable coin-at just over two-and-a-half million dollars a copy-would be a silver dime. One of the great Wild West artifacts, this coin is said to be the only unique issue from the Carson City Mint, which filled its coins with gold plucked from nearby mines. This was done on May 25, 1870, so how is it then that a second example turned up thirty seven years later and was able to fetch a stunning $687,500 at auction back in 1982? Time and rarity have driven up its value to the point that today this same tiny gold piece will set you back a cool two-and-a-half million dollars. Records reveal that one and only one specimen of the 1870-S $3 gold coin was struck – specifically to be sealed within the cornerstone of the new San Francisco Mint building at the corner of Fifth and Mission Streets. It’s certainly a lot cheaper than the $2.1 million dollars you’ll have to pay to get your hands on one of these pieces of early Americana. Logies’ The Flowing Hair Silver Dollars of 1794 – A Historical and Population Census Study, which documents the appearances of over 125 different examples of the valuable coin over the years. This rare chunk of metal is the subject of an entire book, Martin A. If you think there isn’t much to say about coins, think again.
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