1804 $1 Class I
1804 $1 Class III

1804 $1 Class II (Proof)

Series: Draped Bust Dollars 1801-1804

<BR>Image courtesy of the <a href="http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/numismatics/" target="_blank">National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution</a>


Image courtesy of the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution

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PCGS #:
414488
Designer:
Robert Scot
Edge:
Lettered: HUNDRED CENTS ONE DOLLAR OR UNIT
Diameter:
40.00 millimeters
Weight:
27.00 grams
Mintage:
7
Mint:
Philadelphia
Metal:
90% Silver, 10% Copper
Auction Record:
$365 • PR35 • 02-19-2018 • eBay
Major Varieties
  • 1804 $1 Class II
Die Varieties

Condition Census What Is This?

Pos Grade Image Pedigree and History
1 Est PR63

National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution. Unique. Struck over an 1857 Bern, Switzerland, shooting thaler. Placed in the collection around the time of its production.

 
#1 Est PR63

National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution. Unique. Struck over an 1857 Bern, Switzerland, shooting thaler. Placed in the collection around the time of its production.

 
Charles Morgan:

The 1804 Draped Bust Dollar is celebrated for its myserious origins, having been first struck in 1834 for diplomatic presentation sets rather than its nominal date.

While the Class I "Originals" (PCGS #6907) were struck as official State Department gifts, later restrikes reveal a hidden history of corruption and profiteering by Mint employees and connected coin dealers.

The most compelling evidence of this illicit activity lies in the unique Class II Dollar (#414488). This coin, produced around 1858, is a clear example of internal forgery: it has a plain edge (unlike the other classes) and was struck over an 1857 Swiss Shooting Thaler, with the undertype still clearly visible. The single known Class II 1804 is held permanently in the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution.

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