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***Auction Highlight*** 1854 TYPE 2 Gold Dollar $1 Graded Select Unc+ PL By USCG (fc)

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:25.00 USD Estimated At:2,362.50 - 4,725.00 USD
***Auction Highlight*** 1854 TYPE 2 Gold Dollar $1 Graded Select Unc+ PL By USCG (fc)
***Auction Highlight*** 1854 TYPE 2 Gold Dollar $1 Graded Select Unc+ PL By USCG. The small 12.7 mm diameter of the Type I gold dollar brought about a few complaints of it being easy to lose, like the silver trime. To address this, Longacre enlarged the diameter to 14.3 mm, but he also completely revised the design, replacing it with an Indian design with a crown of feathers resembling his design on the newly introduced three-dollar gold piece. He also moved the inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA to the obverse from the reverse. The reverse laurel wreath was replaced with the cereal wreath Longacre employed on the three-dollar denomination and that was later adopted for the Flying Eagle cent. Even with these design changes, challenges faced Mint personnel when striking the coins. Because the weight of the denomination remained unchanged, the coins were made slightly thinner. The obverse Indian head bust of Liberty was in too high a relief for the thinner planchets, and most examples displayed poor definition in and around the centers. To further complicate matters, the dies often clashed early and frequently during press runs, and many survivors exhibit numerous pronounced clash marks. Bowers estimates 90% of all 1854 Type II dollars bear such clash marks on one or both sides. These striking deficiencies prompted the third and final redesign in 1856, enlarging the bust and flattening its relief profile. The 1854 is a popular type coin to represent the modified gold dollar design that debuted the same year. Unlike most Type Two representatives, this Early Struck example is not struck from clashed dies. The design elements are sharp, and the fields are prooflike. Pleasing honey-gold color on each side complements a lack of bothersome abrasions. Higher-grade representatives are scarce, and the coin is virtually unknown in PL.