1855 C and D gold Dollar

[Guest Golddog3]

Will someone please provide the PCGS population for a 1855 C and D gold Dollar in AU58? How many in higher grades? Is there an indication of rarity grade? I though I saw someplace that the 1855 C was a 7.2 on the rarity scale.

[FishyOne]

1855-C: 6 in AU58 and 3 finer. Yes on R-7.2 rarity, R-9.7 in MS.

1855-D: 5 in AU58 and 5 finer. R-8.2 and R-9.8 in MS.

[Guest Golddog3]

Thank you

 

[BillJones]

I bought an 1855-C gold dollar at the last FUN show, and I'm in the market for an 1855-D. If you are looking for these coins in AU, you might be really disappointed with what you see offered in the AU grades for two reasons.

 

First, these coins, especially the 1855-C were very poorly made. The strikes were lousy, the dies were clashed multiple times and the planchets were uneven with more than their share of flaws. Add to that the factor of flat out over grading, and you are looking at a lot of ugly coins at high prices.

 

I saw three 1855-D gold dollars at the FUN show. One was in an AU holder, but it graded no better than EF-40 with no mint luster at all. The price was $20,000. Another had a bit more mint surface, but it had a noticeable planchet defect on the obverse that really affected its eye appeal. That one was priced at $33,000. I didn't care for either piece, especially at those prices.

 

There was also a piece in the auction that had been mounted. The strike was outstanding with a strong date and "DOLLAR" on the reverse. I thought about bidding on it, but I usually stay away from problem coins and passed. The rims on it were a mess.

 

I bought this 1855-C, which is graded EF-45, with no hesitation. It has been dipped, but it also has a decent amount of mint luster in the protected areas. (The picture does not show the positive aspects of this coin.) I could see this piece making AU-50. It is head and shoulders above the other EF graded pieces I had see. I had also seen a couple of AU graded coins, those pieces had a scratch on them that would have bugged me if I owned the coin, plus those coins had no more detail than this piece.

 

With the 1855-C you have to accept that the coin will be ugly. That is the nature of the beast. The Charlotte mint did a lousy job on the late date gold dollars, including the Type III coins. The best thing to do, unless you are Bill Gates or Warren Buffet, is to find an EF the looks half way decent and buy it if the price is fair. You can pay more than double the money, and not get that much more coin for your expenditure.

 

[Guest Golddog3]

Nice 1855 C, actually better looking than some of the AU pieces I've seen.

[JJSingleton]

I acquired this back in 2006. It was in the March Stacks Auction raw. Tough coin with full date. The real nice examples remain in strong hands for quite some time. This coin had been held by the owner since 1986 and I intend to hold it for decades. You will find a handful for sale every year but in the league Bill mentions above. The key here is patience and be willing to step up with the bucks when the right one comes.

 

[Guest Golddog3]

Very nice!!!

[BillJones]

I wish that is was possible to find 1855-D gold dollars graded in AU-55 that look like that, JJSingleton. Unfortunately you can't. Nowadays they are called MS-61 although they are not Mint State at all.

[johnny9434]

i like the 1855 d nice coin